Claiming a King's Heart
by Storyteller35
Summary: After a large attack on his village, the Dragon King gets transported to a distant forest. While there, he meets a strange wizard that promises to help him. Will this wizard be able to tame the fire that resides within the king? And, is he really a stranger? Read and find out. BakuDeku. In Progress.
1. Chapter 1

**Claiming a King's Heart**

 _So this is another story I've been working on. I have seen a lot of great BakuDeku fantasy stories on here and wanted to take a crack at it myself. I also recently found a piece of fan art where Izuku finds an injured Bakugo in a cave and that gave me the inspiration to write this. I have been desperately trying to find the original artist so I can credit them, but to no avail. Hope you enjoy it_ _?_

 **Chapter 1: An Injured King**

A blonde figure made his way slowly through the massive forest. The red cape trailing behind him torn and tattered, blowing in the harsh wind. Blankets of rain surrounding him, soaking him to the bone even through the thick canopy of trees overhead. The storm had caused his dragon and himself to be separated, leaving him to find shelter on his own. Each step left a trail of blood in it's wake.

' _D-damn demons'_ Bakugo thought. His village in the mountains had been attacked by lowly demons, dumb creatures with their brains exposed and horribly disfigured. Though they seemed to be under the control of wizards. One of the wizards among them was trained in portal magic. He had used an opportunity during the battle to transport Bakugo and his dragon Scatha nearby this forest.

His vision began to grow hazy as he found a small cave near the forest. The amount of blood he had lost would have killed a normal human. He settled on the floor of the cave. Many of his wounds were simple scratches, the largest wound being in his side, right below his ribs. One of the demons was able to extend it's teeth like daggers, and managed to find the perfect opportunity to run him through.

 _'I-is this truly how I die?'_ he thought, his vision filling with shadows before darkness finally consumed him.

 **X**

Izuku, a charming green-haired wizard; gathered his supplies and secured his dagger to his belt. He then made his way out the door of the small, mushroom shaped house.

"Izuku!" His mother called, a small round woman with long dark hair, "Wait! I have some dried foods for you to take!"

"It's alright!" He called back behind him, "I already packed some!"

"Well please be careful!"

"I will!"

He made his way into the dense forest. The sun casting a calm glow on the forest floor as it reflected off the morning dew. The rain the previous night had been just what the forest floor needed. The air smelled fresh and clean and the whole forest felt revived.

 _'The perfect day for foraging'_ He thought as he made his way through the dense trees. His eyes glued to the ground. Along his chosen path, he found many herbs that could be used in potions. Though he was still a wizard in training, he had become quite proficient at healing spells and potions. Though he still had much to learn, he was quite happy with his progress thus far.

He came upon a small stream. A bright smile broke across his lips as he searched the bank.

"Ah perfect!" he said, gathering up moss nearby the bank. It was a rare breed of moss that when mixed with the right ingredients could close any wound, no matter how severe. It seemed to be quite abundant around this stream, and he thanked the earth for providing it to him.

He ventured further towards the northern edge of the forest. He knew there were caves lining the north side as the forest met the base of the northern mountains. Tales spoke of rare mushrooms that grew in those caves. When crushed into a paste or mixed with drink, they would nullify any poison; no matter how strong. He spotted the caves and quickly ran into one of the dark openings, excited to find this rare spore. Though it wasn't mushrooms that he initially found.

Lying on the ground of the large cave was a blonde man. His hair spiking out. A red cape surrounded him with a collar of what looked like white wolf fur. His upper body covered in a variety of tattoos, all strange symbols that Izuku was unfamiliar with. His deep blue trousers tattered and bloodied. He slowly opened his eyes, their color red like burning embers. Once the initial shock wore off, Izuku began to recognize the stranger.

 _'T-the Dragon King?!'_ He thought, his hand holding tight to his bag. He had thought that the Dragon King was simply a legend. A story that you told children to help them sleep. Yet here he was, sitting right in front of him.

"Y-your hurt!" He said, rushing forwards and throwing his bag to the side. The blonde's eyes hardened and he growled, raising his hand as sparks flew from his palm.

"Are you one of those damned wizards?!" the blonde barked at him. Izuku backed up slightly, raising his hands defensively.

"I-I am a wizard, yes." He said, "I am a healer. I wish to help you"

The blonde leaned forwards and took a deep breath. The smell of his magic did not match the scent of those that attacked his village. It actually smelled familiar, though the owner of such magic he had assumed to be long dead.

The King slowly leaned back, looking at the wall across the cave. He slowly moved his cape out of the way and lifted his arm, exposing the large wound in his side. Izuku went pale at the sight of the large gash, but quickly composed himself. Pulling out the necessary supplies, he quickly made a paste with the moss and other ingredients in his mortar. He pulled out a handkerchief from his bag and poured some of his water on it and began to clean the large wound.

Bakugo let out a slight growl, the water stinging the wound.

"I'll need you to hold still" Izuku said, slightly glaring at the blonde

"How long will this take?" Bakugo barked at him through gritted teeth.

"With my current skill, it will take a few days for you to fully heal."

"So you're a deku then?"

Izuku rolled eyes slightly at the name. Deku was slang for a "useless" or "skilless" wizard,

"I wouldn't say that about the wizard that is attempting to help you" he muttered as he spread the paste across the wound and held his hand to it. The wound glowed blue before closing. Though the wound appeared healed, it would take a few days to heal internally. He quickly got to work on spreading it on the smaller cuts as well.

"This way you won't bleed out" he said, "It's amazing your alive after the amount of blood you have lost"

"I am not like some weak human" Bakugo snapped, eyes locked on the wall on the other side of the cave.

"You are the Dragon King, aren't you?"

Bakugo's eyes turned to look at him and glared, "Why is that your concern?"

"A dragon king would certainly have a dragon. Where is yours?"

His eyes settled back on the wall, "We were separated in the storm"

"Ah, I see"

"You are an apprentice of the great wizard All Might, aren't you?"

Izuku's eyes widened slightly, "H-how could you tell?"

"Your magic smells just like him. Tell me, is he dead?"

Izuku turned to his bag and pulled out bandages, "No, he is not."

"But he's weaker than he was?"

Izuku paused for a moment and stared at the Dragon King in awe, _'H-how can he know so much? Can he read minds?'_ He thought. There were many tales about the strength of the Dragon King and his tribe. Many did not believe that a dragon could be broken, yet tales floated around about a massive army of dragon riders under his command.

Bakugo met his eyes, leaning back slightly, "I met him only once, when I was a child. He was beyond comparison. I wouldn't think he would take someone like you as an apprentice, let alone give you his power"

Izuku glared slightly at him, half regretting promising to help him as he began wrapping his wounds with bandages, "He saw something in me that he found promising, and I have worked very hard to make this power my own"

He pushed up his sleeves as he finished bandaging the arrogant king. Bakugo's eyebrows raised slightly. Jagged scars surrounded his arms. Once Izuku caught him staring, he quickly pulled his sleeves back down.

"When I began my training, the rebound from the magic was fairly intense. I nearly lost the use of my arms. I have learned to control it at this point" He leaned back and sat on his feet. Bakugo attempted to stand and hissed slightly in pain.

Izuku reached for him, "Y-you shouldn't' get up! I only just closed your wounds. Like I said it will take a few days to heal"

Bakugo let out a large growl, if Izuku hadn't known better; he would say he saw fire escape the King's lips, "Damn it!"

"W-what brought you here?" Izuku asked after a moment. The King remained silent and glared at him. He figured that would be a topic for another time. He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a few large pieces of rabbit jerky.

"Here" he said, handing him half of the pieces, "Eat up, you must be hungry"

Bakugo's glared softened slightly, taking the food and hungerly biting into it. There was something about this young wizard. Maybe it was the bright glint in his large green eyes, the softness of his smile or his genuine heart. It dug at him, nipped at his brain like a small bird pecking the ground for seed. It felt familiar, yet distant like a dream.

A soft memory played in the back of his head, a young boy's voice saying, _"Kacchan! Wait up Kacchan!"_ He pressed the memory down, thinking that it was nothing.

 _Let me know what you think :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II: Meeting a Dragon**

As the next few days passed, he began to become quite appreciative of the young wizard. Though no one would be able to get him to admit it out loud. Each night Izuku would promise to be back in the morning, and each morning he would arrive to examine and clean his wounds. He could feel the genuine concern for him behind Izuku's actions.

"D-do you have another name besides The Dragon King?" Izuku had asked one afternoon as he prepared a soup for the two of them.

"Katsuki Bakugo" Bakugo stated, his eyes meeting Izuku's.

Izuku's eyes widened slightly before furrowing in confusion.

"Do you have something to say, Deku?" Bakugo barked at him, growling slightly.

Izuku raised his hands slightly, laughing nervously, "T-that name sounds slightly familiar is all. Though I'm not sure why" Izuku grabbed their bowls and poured out the soup into them, handing one to Bakugo. Bakugo nodded in thanks, glaring slightly at Izuku.

On the third day The Dragon King was feeling anxious. He wasn't fully aware of the extent of the damage that the demons had caused to his village, and though the wise woman would be working hard to heal those who were injured, having an extra set of hands with strong healing magic may be exactly what his people needed. He laid back on the cave floor.

 _'First, we find Scatha. Then I take him to the village. The elders won't care for an outsider coming into the village but they always fuss over these things."_ He thought as he closed his eyes. As he began to fall asleep, the memory popped up once more

 _Soft, short green hair fluttered in the wind as they ran through the large grassy field._

 _"Kacchan! Wait up Kacchan!' yelled the young, green-haired boy._

 _"Bet you can't catch me!" he called back to the other boy, nearly running into a large, golden dragon paw._

 _"Katsuki, it's time to go" a deep male voice answered._

 **X**

Bakugo tossed and turned on the cave floor, his mind deep within his nightmare.

 _He stood in front of the large golden dragon hearing it snarl and roar behind him. Arrows bounced off its hardened scales. It's lips rolled back into a snarl. He being only ten held tightly to his spear. The assassins surrounding him wore blue and white clothes with veils covering their faces. Many of them were already injured, though some still attempted to approach him._

 _"Come on and try it!" he screamed at them. Between him and the dragon's front paws lay the lifeless body of his father. The assassins had attacked as they were flying home from the land of the wizards. They had managed to catch them when their guard was down._

 _"Our duty here is done" their leader stated, turning towards the men who hadn't been injured, "Retreat!"_

 _"Get back here" Katsuki yelled, tears welling up in his eyes, "You will pay for this! Do you hear me?!"_

 _As soon as they were gone, he quickly turned to his father, "Dad come on! Dad we have to go home!" he cried, but the body did not move, "Dad! DAD!"_

Bakugo awoke in a cold sweat, not certain where he was for a moment. The memory of that night hadn't plagued his nightmares in a very long time. He quickly turned to the cave's entrance as he heard Izuku scream. He bolted to a standing position, his wounds aching slightly in protest. Though it was nothing he couldn't handle. He quickly ran outside the cave. Outside a large red dragon had landed in front of the cave, growling and snarling at Izuku. The dragon towered over the wizard, it's ruby red scales reflecting the bright sunlight. It's eyes black with specks of red like embers. Its wings extended out at least 100 feet and were currently out in a defensive position. The scales of her nose sharp and standing up, the bases of the scales of its face black like smoke. Smoke escaped it's large nostrils. The wizard was currently sweating bullets as he attempted to calm the creature.

Bakugo ran in front of the dragon, "Scatha! Calm girl!" he called out to her. She calmed her growls and looked towards him, leaning down and sniffing his chest before nuzzling him lightly.

"It's alright" he whispered, running his hands along the scales on the top of her head, "I'm just about healed, no need to worry"

The sound of a stick breaking caused both of them to turn and face Izuku, who was attempting to step closer. Scatha let out a soft growl and Bakugo patted her lightly.

"I know he is a wizard, but he is a friend" Bakugo said, grabbing Izuku's arm and pulling him closer. A small scream escaped his throat and his legs shook being so close to the large creature. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled his scent, before leaning her head towards his hand. He took a deep breath to calm himself, lightly petting her scales on her nose.

"Y-your dragon, I'm assuming?" Izuku said, his eyes studying the large creature.

"Scatha is her name. Since the attack on our village it makes sense she wouldn't be too fond of wizards."

"W-wizards attacked your village?" He asked, turning to face Bakugo.

"A few days ago our village was attacked by an army of demons. Grotesque creatures with their brains exposed. They had a group of wizards with them whose magic had a horrible odor. One of them was trained in portal magic. We were beginning to get the upper hand in the battle and he transported me just a little ways outside of this forest. The storm got Scatha and I turned around and eventually separated. That's how I ended up here" He said as he walked back into the cave, settling on the ground and beginning to remove his bandages so Izuku could examine him.

"It sounds like they may have been using dark magic" Izuku said as he cleaned Bakugo's wounds. The bruises were nearly gone and the swelling had reduced greatly. One more day and he would be completely healed.

"I'm not sure what they wanted with us. Since I turned down King Endevor's offer, he's been trying to erase my tribe from existence, though why he would go that far I'm not sure." Bakugo said, staring at the wall across the cave. His face transfixed like he was in a daze, reliving a memory.

Izuku rang out his rag, "W-what offer did King Endevor make?" he asked

"He wanted me to promise to allow him to use our dragons and our soldiers if needed. Spoke of wars looming that could be avoided with the promise. I refused. I wasn't going to put my people in danger so that maniac could have more needless power."

Izuku began redressing the wounds, "T-that sounds like a very honorable decision" he said, their eyes meeting for a moment. Each of their hearts skipped a beat for half a second, just barely enough to notice. They both looked away.

Izuku finished tying off his bandages and he stood abruptly, "We need to get going. My village needs me. I have no idea how badly the damage is." Bakugo said as he walked outside to his dragon.

"W-wait!" Izuku shouted, "do you really think it's a good idea for you to travel so soon after recovering?!"

"I need to take care of my people." He said, continuing toward his companion.

"Hold on, let me get you some supplies for the road at least!"

"How about just come with me?"

Izuku stared at him in surprise, _'Go with him?_ He thought

Bakugo stepped towards him, "Normally our village would be hidden and no outsiders would be allowed in. Though, with the damages we experienced recently, we could use a competent healer. You have proved yourself as much." he said, patting Scatha on the nose, "Ever ridden a dragon before?"

Izuku's eyes darted between Bakugo and Scatha, "I-I can't say that I have."

Bakugo chuckled, "I expected as much. Here let me show you a couple things"

The dragon laid down on the ground. Bakugo pointed behind one of her horns, "She was struck there when she was young, be careful not to put too much pressure on it ever"

He walked around towards her tail, the long tail extending out at least thirty feet, with a pair of smaller wings towards the base. "Always watch her tail when you walk."

As they walked around the other side, Izuku reached out and lightly patted her back leg, earning a deep growl from the large dragon, "Don't do that, she hates it. Pat here instead" Izuku backed up slightly and walked over near Bakugo, patting near her shoulder. She let out a large sigh, looking towards Bakugo with a look of slight irritation. He nodded slightly.

"That should be all you need to know" he said, "Now get on"

He helped Izuku onto the large dragon and reached up and settled in front of him as they sat at the base of her head. He grabbed hold of her massive horns and leaned forward.

"Hold on tightly wizard." "He said before Scatha stood and quickly reared up and took off. Her wings flapped hard as she quickly gained altitude, Izuku using all his strength to hold on to her slick scales. Bakugo reached back and grabbed onto to the front of his shirt. Izuku pulled himself back into place, fighting the intense winds. Without thinking he wrapped his hands around Bakugos middle and held on for dear life. Bakugo rolled his eyes slightly but didn't push him off. He didn't want to lose his passenger.

Once she had reach the necessary altitude she settled out her flight as she soared above the clouds. As she found a large air current heading towards the mountains, her wings settled into a calm glide.

Once Izuku confirmed in his mind that he wasn't going to vomit, he blinked and looked around. The morning sun hadn't reached above the mountain tops yet and the thin morning clouds shined pink from the reflecting rays. He breathed in the brisk air. It only slightly stung his lungs but it tasted so sweet. Scatha's large shadow danced upon the clouds beneath them and the wind whistled as it went by. His eyes fell onto his companion in front of him. His blond hair lightly moving within the breeze and the sunlight would occasionally dance across his skin. His skin was tan like caramel, though now that he was closer; he noticed many scars scattered about his skin. Some of them were from the injuries he healed, but others were jagged, worn smooth with time. The black tattoos stood out against his skin, but complimented the lines of his muscles like as if they had simply formed on his skin as he got older. Bakugo had abandoned his tattered cape and tied it to Scatha's horn to save the fur. Though he did not seem to react to the cold air of the sky. Izuku held him tighter, burying his face in his back.

 _'I shouldn't be gawking at him.'_ He thought, his cheeks warm against Bakugo's back.

A light blush coated Bakugo's cheeks. There was something about this young wizard that got to him. He wasn't sure what it was. His heart fluttered slightly. He glared ahead.

 _'What is this wizard doing to me?'_ he thought as they flew.

 _Let me know what you think_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: A Hidden City**

A dense mist began to form around them as they flew further south. Izuku shielded his eyes and held closer to Bakugo.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." Bakugo said, "Scatha knows her way home."

Izuku wanted to believe him, but the mist was making his mind fuzzy and his vision blurry.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and Bakugo let out a soft laugh.

"I would think an apprentice of All Might would have a bit more experience with cloaking spells." he said, a large smile forming across his face.

Izuku looked up at him, "C-cloaking spell?"

"Yeah, it's a powerful spell that the elders and I maintain. It protects our people from the outside world"

Izuku thought for a moment, "Do you interact with the outside world much at all?" he asked, _'That may be why many believe that they are simply legend'_

"Occasionally, we mine jewels out of the mountain and will sometimes trade them with King Endeavor if we are low on supplies or need materials for stronger weapons. He would give his son's life for the riches that the mountain holds. However, it's our job to protect the mountain from that greedy maniac" he said with a slight growl.

 _'He really doesn't like the king, does he?'_ Izuku thought.

Bakugo extended out his hand in front of him, palm facing the mist, "Close your eyes Deku!" he yelled. Izuku blinked before a massive explosion erupted from the palm of his hand. They flew quickly through the smoke. Izuku inhaled in surprise, harsh coughs then erupting from his throat. His eyes began to sting from the smoke.

"What did I tell you, you idiot?!" Bakugo yelled, pushing down Izuku's head.

"S-sorry." Izuku coughed out, "T-that was incredible! I heard stories when I was younger about your power, but that exceeded any expectation I could have had!"

A soft blush returned to Bakugo's cheeks as he let out a soft growl, "I told you I am not some weak human"

The mist around them began to clear. Large mountains forming around them like walls attempting to close them in. As Izuku's eyes began to clear, he began to see large beasts against the mountains. A few blinks more and he began to distinguish them as massive dragons. A few a similar ruby red to Scatha, while others were bright green like emeralds and even bright gold and silver. If the jewels that came from the mountain were as beautiful as the dragons, he could see why King Endeavor would desire them so much.

They landed softly on a large cliff edge. Large dwellings surrounded them, carved with the stone of the mountains. The smooth stone glowing softly in the sunlight. Soft candlelight shown through a few windows, and smoke floated out of the sky light's of others. The smells of cooking meat and rice filled Izuku's nose.

"Y-you live here?" He whispered, attempting to take it all in as Bakugo helped him off Scatha.

"It's a little different from the village your from, huh?" Bakugo asked, waving at someone in the distance.

"I-it's amazing!" Izuku whispered, never in his life had he seen structures like this. All might had spoken during his training about villages of people that live in the mountains, however; he had always pictured tents or small huts, never the complex city that lay before him.

"Hey Bakugo!" A man yelled as he ran towards them, his hair a deep red, only slightly darker than Scatha's scales. He was a strong young man who wore silver pants and a silver vest to match, with a large red cloth tied around his waist. His left arm covered in a silver wrist armor, indicating he was a strong archer. The tattered scarf around his neck bounced as he ran. He stopped in front of them.

"Man, am I glad to see you!" He said, a large smile across his face, "When you got thrown into that portal, many thought you were a goner. Everyone will be ecstatic to see you."

"How is everyone?" Bakugo asked, "What happened with the demons?"

"The upper hand you gave us allowed us to drive them away, thought not without consequence. Many of our warriors were pretty beat up. Recovery Girl has been doing everything she can to help them"

Bakugo nodded and the red-haired man's eyes fell on Izuku, "What did you get a prize at the market?"

Bakugo placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder, "This is Deku. He's an apprentice of All Might and is a gifted healer. He healed me, and I figured Recovery Girl could use the help. Deku, this is Kirishima. He is my right hand man and one of our most talented warriors"

Kirishima laughed, running his hand through his hair, "That's high praise coming from the king" He said and Bakugo began walking past him. He reached out and grabbed his arm.

"The elders aren't going to like this." He whispered to Bakugo, "You know how they feel about outsiders."

"I know." Bakugo whispered back, "I'll sort that out later."

He led Izuku into the center of the city and towards a small hut. He opened the deer skin flap and led him inside. The scents of incense and lavender hit his nose. A short old woman with silver hair held in a bun on her head had finished up cleaning a large wound and was currently washing her hands. She looked up as they entered.

"King Bakugo, I am so glad to see you alive and well" she said, drying her hands. She grabbed her wooden cane and walked over to meet them, hugging Bakugo.

"I'm glad to be back, and I brought you some aid" He said

"Oh did you now, and who have your brought me?"

He stepped aside and revealed Izuku. Izuku quickly cleared his throat and held out his hand, "My name is Izuku Midoryia. I am an apprentice of All Might and quite proficient at healing spells and potions" He said. Her eyes looked him over up and down, examining him. She tapped his hand away with her cane and walked around him.

"His body is not very strong, but his magic is quite potent." She said, she poked his side with the end of her cane, causing him to jump, "You possess a strong magic, but you cannot wield it all at once can you?" she said

His eyes widened slightly, _'Can everyone here read minds or something?!'_ he thought, his eyes going towards his scarred hand. Before she had time to examine him further, three people entered the tent.

"Recovery Girl!" yelled on of the individuals, his bright blond hair striking in the dimmed light of the hut, "It's Ojiro, he was helping repair one of the houses when his wound reopened. You have to help him!"

He helped pull a larger man with short sandy hair into the hut, a woman with a high pony tail accompanying him as they laid him down on one of the mats. His white shirt already beginning to turn red with blood. Recovery Girl rushed to his side and began cutting his shirt with a knife.

Izuku quickly opened his bag, "Here I have something that can help with that" he said, pulling out the moss and a few other ingredients as well as his mortar. He ducked down next to the man and began mixing the paste. Recovery Girl looked towards his supplies curiously.

"Where did you find that moss?" she asked

"It was abundant near a river in the forest near my village. I am certain you are aware of its abilities"

She nodded, "I only have limited supplies of it as I am so far in the mountains"

"I have more that you can have."

She smiled, "That would be wonderful, thank you."

 **X**

Izuku aided Recovery Girl for the rest of the afternoon. Bakugo went around the village and assessed the damage, as well as helped where he could. The demons had left their mark on a fair share of the dwellings, but luckily they would be easy to repair. They had managed to only lose a handful of warriors and their dragons remained unharmed. He met Izuku back at Recovery Girl's hut in the early evening. Recovery Girl met him outside the hut.

"Welcome back King Bakugo" She said

"Thank you. Did Deku prove to be useful?" he asked

"Yes indeed he was. Though I had to ask why you felt the need to bring him back to the village?"

"After that portal wizard transported me away from here, I did not know the state of the village. He is quite good at what he does, so I figured he would be quite useful"

"Is that truly all?

"Could you get to your point?"

She leaned against the hut, placing both her hands on her cane, "I raised you since your father died, and I know how important it is to you to maintain this village's safety. He also told me how he healed you. Do you feel indebted to him?"

Bakugo huffed, "Not particularly, I wasn't dying"

She smiled softly, "Though you do feel something for him?"

He growled and looked away, "He seems… familiar is all. I'm not sure why."

Her smile widened. Since meeting the young man, she could feel the magic around them change. As the village wise woman, she was able to use healing magic as well as assess the fates of those around her. She was able to understand if a person's days were numbered or if a couple was destined to be together. When the two young men stood next to one another, their magical energies intertwined together, falling into a pattern like musician playing an old, familiar song.

"Well, I can say I have never seen him before, at least not here. I am also certain you are aware that the elders will not be happy about this" she said, tapping her cane lightly on the ground.

"Yes I'm aware. I'm going to speak with them this evening" he said, crossing his arms

"Is he going to stay with you?"

"I was going to set up one of the guest huts for him"

"For tonight though, he should stay with you"

"What for?"

She met his gaze, a soft, playful smile playing on her lips, "He is your guest, you should host him." She looked out towards the sun as it began to set, it ducked between the large mountain as the dragons flew in circles around the peak, "Plus, I would like to put on a feast tonight to celebrate your safe return and to thank him for his aid. He will need proper clothes to attend"

Bakugo growled slightly at her, though did not protest further. He was curious about the young wizard, and rooming with him would give him time to talk with him.

Izuku came out of the hut, "I have finished organizing the shelves liked you asked" he said, unrolling his sleeves and patting the dust from his vest.

"Thank you very much. You have been a great help today Midoryia" she said, turning towards him.

He looked over at Bakugo, "Katsuki, welcome back" he said, bowing his head slightly and Bakugo nodded.

"Come with me Deku. I'll show you where you'll be staying tonight" Bakugo said before turning around and walking towards the center of the village. Izuku nodded and bowed towards Recovery Girl, who gave him a respectful nod in return. She watched as the young men walked away, smiling softly. It was too early to assess what their relationship would be, but she could tell that they would become very important to one another.

 _Let me know what you think_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV: A festive night**

Bakugo led him through the city to a large dwelling near the center. He brushed away the deer skin flap and led him inside. The interior was large and open, with an area in the center to set up a cooking fire and a small table for eating. Small windows allowed the sunlight into the dwelling, giving it a warm and welcoming glow. Large tapestries lined a few of the walls with integrate colors and zig-zag patterns. Izuku ran his hand across one, the fibers soft to the touch.

"Is this your house?" Izuku asked, turning back to face Bakugo.

"Yeah" he said, his face indifferent.

"D-do your parents live here as well?"

He looked down, a saddened expression coming across his face before a scowl settled in its place, "No, they died a long time ago"

Izuku looked away, tracing the pattern on one of the tapestries, "I-I'm sorry to hear that" he said.

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault" Bakugo said and walked over to a wooden latter, "Come up here with me"

He climbed up the latter and opened the small door above. Izuku slowly followed. The room above was also large, with many large pantries on the back and side walls. A large window provided warm light into the room. A large straw bed lay to one side with knitted and fur blankets laying atop it and large colored silk hanging from the ceiling. A small wood stove stood in the corner.

"You'll be staying up here with me" Bakugo said as he opened one of the large pantries, pulling out extra blankets to make another bed, "Recovery Girl is also going to be hosting a large feast for us tonight, so you will need to change" He closed the pantry and opened up another one, looking through the clothing that lay inside.

"What is wrong with my clothes?" Izuku asked, looking down at his shirt.

"You are being honored at the feast, and it is customary that honored guests wear appropriate attire" he said, handing over the clothing to Izuku. On top lay an light embroidered tunic with spiraling patterns of red, gold and green, looking like flames. A pair of dark wool trousers lay beneath it.

"These are what I wore when I was a teenager, so they should fit you just fine" Bakugo said, a playful smile playing at his lips; Izuku glared at him slightly, "Get changed, I need to go take care of some business and I'll be back in a bit to get you"

He walked over and climbed down the ladder and shut the trap door that lay at the top. Izuku let out a soft sigh. He set down the clothing and laid down on the large bed.

 _'Something about him feels oddly familiar.'_ He thought, as his hand drifted over his stomach. The more time that he spent with Bakugo, the more butterflies began to flutter around his stomach. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad. His mind drifted to their journey here. As he held him, he could feel the taunt muscles beneath the canvas of the bandages. The effortless strength he had used to lift Izuku to aid him in mounting the dragon, as well as help him off.

 _'If he wanted to, I bet he could easily pick me up and pin me to a wall..-'_ he thought, though as his face became a deep shade of red. He did not let his mind venture further. He shook the thoughts from his head.

 _'I don't even know him!'_ He thought, sitting up and putting his face in his hands, slowly running them through his thick green hair. His eyes fell back onto the clothes Bakugo had handed him.

 _'Well, let's see if they fit'_ He thought as he stood up.

 **X**

Bakugo made his way across the village to a large structure on the east side. He pulled back the large curtain and made his way inside. A large room opened up in front of him. Sitting mats surrounding a large central fire pit where a large fire was roaring. A number of robed individuals sat on the mats, their faces illuminated by the fire. Smoke wafted up through a large sky light in the thatched roof above.

Bakugo made his way around the circle and sat down on his mat.

"You wished to see me?" He said, sitting up straight and looking bored.

Elder Aizawa, a thin man with dark black hair and tired eyes; raised his head and spoke up "Yes, you brought an outsider into the village, didn't you?"

"I did" Bakugo said

"A direct violation of our tribe's traditions!" Elder Sekijiro exclaimed, a tall, built man with spikey silvery hair.

"What reason would you have to bring him here?" Elder Nezu said, a short, white mouse-like creature with a large scar over his right eye.

"He is a gifted healer, after the attack I thought Recovery Girl could use some help with treating the wounded." Bakugo said, his face remaining indifferent to the conversation.

"Is that all you know about him?" Elder Cementose said, a large man with skin like blocks of stone, "He could be a spy for King Endeavor."

"He could also be in correlation with the demons that attacked us" Elder Aizawa spoke up. Whispers filled the room as the other elders began to speculate.

Bakugo cleared his throat and the whispers stopped, "He is an apprentice of the great wizard All Might, and correct me if I am wrong; but was he not the only outsider you allowed in the village"

The elders around him stayed silent, not wanting to admit to the fact. Bakugo itched his temple.

"The outsider will be staying with me, and during his time here he will either be working with Recovery Girl or with me. He won't have time to himself until he leaves the village. I promise you that." Bakugo said, "Is that all?"

"You can understand are suspicions?" Elder Nezu said, folding his hands in his lap.

"I do." Bakugo said, "And I will do nothing to harm the safety of this village."

"Alright, we will trust your judgement" Elder Aizawa said, they all bowed their heads, "thank you for meeting with us your majesty"

Bakugo bowed his head in return and stood up, walking out of the meeting room.

 **X**

Bakugo made his way back to his house back up to his bedroom. In the middle of the room stood Izuku. The clothes Bakugo had given him fit him well, though were slightly tighter then expected. He closed the door behind him and Izuku looked up at him as he smoothed out the front of his shirt.

"W-welcome back Bakugo" Izuku said, his hands dropping down to his sides. Bakugo eyes examined him head to toe.

 _'I'm surprised they fit so well'_ Bakugo thought, he had honestly thought that they would be big on him. Izuku looked away, his cheeks hot under Bakugo's intense stare.

"W-what? D-do you like what you see?" Izuku said jokingly.

"Yes." Bakugo said without hesitation and Izuku could have sworn his heart stopped, "I was expecting them to be big on you. I guess your not as scrawny as you look in your clothes"

Izuku glared at him slightly, though the blush on his face lessened the intensity of the expression. Bakugo grabbed a small comb and walked behind him, taking hold of a section of his hair.

"W-what are you doing?" Izuku exclaimed, jumping slightly.

"Shut up Deku, I am just braiding your hair." Bakugo said, running the comb through the section, "It's customary for men with longer hair to have a single braid in his hair. I don't have one since my hair is shorter" He braided the section and tied it off with a small string. He then walked over to one of the closets. He pulled out a large cape with an ornate golden dragon embroidered on the back, tying it around his neck. He pulled out a pair of red earrings and putting them in.

He turned and looked at Izuku. Izuku slightly adverted his eyes, "Y-you look nice as well" he said

Bakugo smiled a large, cocky smile, "I know, now come on" he said and lead him down the ladder.

Bakugo led him across the village to a large mess hall and sat on mats at the front of large crowd. A group of the warriors had gone out and hunted two large deer for the feast which sat next to an collection of vegetables and rice. Trays had been set up in front of Bakugo's and Izuku's mats. Large drums playing like a heartbeat in the background.

Izuku had to do everything he could to not drool at the sight. He hadn't eaten since that morning, and seeing the abundance of food made his stomach growl. His eyes darted to Bakugo, who was sitting up straight, barely noticing the food. Recovery Girl stood and the drums stopped abruptly.

"Thank you all for joining me this evening. Tonight is a blessed night! Not only have the gods returned our King to us safe and sound, but he has also brought with him a talented healer, whose aid to our people is unquantifiable" she bowed to the two of them, "We hope that you enjoy this feast"

Bakugo bowed his head in returned and Izuku copied. Everyone then began to eat. A young woman with a black, high pony tale came and held up a flask.

"Would you like some sake sir?" she asked, Izuku took a moment to swallow.

"It would be rude to refuse." Bakugo said as another girl, this one with long black hair and a face that reminded him of a frog; filled his glass.

Not wanting to be rude, he swallowed and said, "Y-yes, ,thank you" he said, holding out his glass for her.

The feast lasted through the evening and into the night. Once everyone finished dinner the drums continued and many joked around and danced. Bakugo introduced Izuku to the warriors and members of the village. They sat with them as the warriors spoke about the end of the battle with the demons.

Izuku proved to be a light-weight. After four drinks, he was beginning to get unsteady on his feet. Bakugo sighed and told everyone goodnight for the two of them and lead him back to his house.

Izuku giggled as they walked back.

"What are you laughing about Deku?" Bakugo said, hoisting Izuku's arm onto his shoulder so that Izuku wouldn't fall over.

"N-nothing." Izuku said before breaking into a giggle fit.

"You are a terrible liar." He said

"N-no really…hic… I-it's nothing r-really"

"If you have something to say, just say it."

"I-it's just when I was a kid, I had a friend who lived in the mountains. He used to tell me stories about where he lived, and it was completely different from the kingdom of Ignis. I-I think his father had a dragon. I-I used to call him Kacchan. I haven't seen him in years" Izuku said, he looked up at Bakugo and smiled, "You remind me a lot of him"

A blush lightly coated Bakugo's cheeks, which he mentally blamed on the alcohol; he grunted in response.

He helped Izuku up into his bedroom and threw him down onto the bed he prepared for him, "Get some sleep Deku." He said as Izuku erupted in giggles again.

"You can't be him though" Izuku said, snuggling under the blankets.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?" He asked, his eyebrow raising slightly as he looked at Izuku.

"You are much more handsome then he ever was."

Bakugo quickly looked away, steam coming off his face, "I-I told you to get some sleep!" He yelled, and looked at Izuku. Izuku had fallen asleep. Bakugo let out a large sigh and sat down next to Izuku's bed. He lightly brushed some hair from his cheek.

Izuku's face looked peaceful as he slept, a soft smile across his lips along with the soft coating of pink on his cheeks left from the alcohol. He would never admit it out loud, but there was something attractive about this young wizard. That coupled with the familiar feeling he got whenever he was around him sent his heart into a flutter, though he had no idea why.

He lightly caressed his cheek. His thumb running over a light, white scar along his cheek bone. He ran his thumb over it again. It triggered a memory he hadn't had in a very, very long time.

 _"Come on Izuku, it is not that bad" A eight-year old Bakugo said. He poured some water on Izuku's small handkerchief and lightly dabbed a eight-year-old Izuku's cheek._

 _"I-It hurts Kacchan!" Izuku sobbed. They had been playing in the forest. They had both gotten daggers from their fathers for their birthdays and were fighting with them. Bakugo had gotten past Izuku's defense and cut his cheek._

 _"Well, now it is clean." He said, "Do you know what the wise woman does whenever I get hurt?"_

 _Izuku looked up at him, wiping the tears from his eyes with his fists, "W-what?"_

 _Katsuki cupped his face in his hands and gently kissed the small cut._

 _"Her kisses can heal the injury. Did that help?"_

 _Izuku smiled brightly, "I-it does feel better! Thank you Kacchan."_

 _A large smile formed across Bakugo's face, "I told you!"_

He shook the memory from his head and made his way over to his bed, removing his earrings and cape before crawling into bed.

 _Let me know what you think_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V: The next morning**

Izuku slowly woke up. His head pounding like he had been kicked by a horse. His muscles sore and the light entering the room seemed much brighter than usual. The smell of cooking rice wafted up to the room. It made his stomach growl but also turn like he was going to be sick.

He made his way slowly down the ladder, doing his best not to fall over and sat next to the cooking fire.

"Oh good your up." Bakugo said, handing him a small cup, "I had Recovery Girl brew this up for you. Drink it."

Izuku rubbed his eyes, "What is it?" he asked.

"A hangover cure." He said, "Occasionally the warriors will go to far on the sake and this always fixes them up right away."

Izuku looked down into the glass. The liquid was dark green and murky. It smelled metallic like copper. It was nearly enough to make him throw up.

"Are you sure it works?"

"Why don't you try it and find out?"

Izuku swallowed back his nausea and chocked back the medicine. The after-taste was like sulfer. After a few minutes, the pain in his head began to lessen and his muscles began to feel normal once again. The nausea in his stomach slowly settled into hunger.

Bakugo poured him some soup in a bowl and handed it to him, "Do you not drink much in your village?"

"Just the occasional glass of wine with dinner, but almost never hard liquor" He said as he began to eat.

"That explains why you can't handle it"

Izuku rolled his eyes, "I couldn't have been that bad."

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

Izuku looked down and thought for a minute, his chopsticks paused at his mouth, "I-I remember dinner and talking with the warriors. Everything after that is a bit fuzzy"

Bakugo nodded slightly. He had figured as much. He slowly began to eat.

Izuku looked at him and then back down to his food, curious as to why he was being so quiet. They ate in silence for a few moments before Bakugo spoke up.

"How did you get that scar on your cheek?"

Izuku's hand rose to the small scar on his cheekbone, "A friend and I were playing with knifes in the forest and he cut me by accident."

Bakugo's eyebrows raised slightly, "Was that the same friend that lived in the mountains?"

Izuku met his gaze, "Y-yes, but how did you-"

"You said last night that you had a friend when you were younger that lived in the mountains. That his dad may have had a dragon." Bakugo lightly stoked the fire before filling his bowl with more soup. He reached out his hand for Izuku's bowl and Izuku handed it over to be refilled.

"Y-yeah, some of the details I don't quite remember. It was a very, very long time ago."

Bakugo nodded and handed him back his bowl, "My dad and I used to visit Ignis when I was a kid. I used to call it the land of the wizards. Occasionally I would play with other children from the surrounding areas."

 _'Why is he telling me this?'_ Izuku thought before speaking, "M-maybe it could have been you then…"

A small smile formed across Bakugo's face as he finished his second bowl, "According to you, I couldn't have been your friend from back then" he set his bowl down and leaned back onto his arms.

"W-why is that?"

A large cocky smile spread across Bakugo's face, "You said I was far more handsome then your friend back then"

Izuku couldn't meet his gaze, slightly shifting his weight from one hip to the other, "Y-you jest"

Bakugo let out a soft laugh, "Why would I jest? You are the one that drank so much you can't remember!"

Izuku glared into his bowl, his cheeks burning, "S-so why did you stop coming to Ignis?"

A scowl returned to Bakugo's face. He stoked the fire, "My father was killed by Ignis assassins"

Izuku met his gaze, "H-how do you know they were from Ignis?"

"The colors that they wore were similar to the under layers that King Endeavor's knights wear. Though that was hardly enough proof to accuse anyone of a crime."

Izuku thought for a moment, "H-how old were you?"

"Ten."

Izuku stayed silent, he didn't know what to say.

"The elders spoke for me until I was of age to officially take over the throne." Bakugo continued, "Once I came of age, King Endeavor payed me a visit. He probably thought he was speaking to some dumb kid. He was certainly surprised."

"I would assume so, you are extremely intelligent for your age." Izuku said.

A soft smile pulled at Bakugo's lips, "Recovery Girl took me in after my father died, and the elders taught me well."

"What about your mother?"

Bakugo met his gaze, "A kingdom from the north attacked us and tried to take part of our land. She took a group of warriors and dragons to them and massacred them. She came back with serious wounds that ended up taking her life"

Izuku eyes widened slightly, "I-I am sorry to hear that."

Bakugo shrugged, "She won. She said that she was content with that"

Izuku thought over the information, "W-wait, I'm confused. If you believed that King Endeavor's men killed your father, then why not confront him about it?"

"That maniac would declare war. I am not going to put my people in danger just to satisfy his bloodlust." His gaze drifted back to the fire. The flames reflecting in his eyes

Izuku looked at him in awe, "Y-you are a very honorable man." He said.

Bakugo met his gaze, "It's my job to be."

The deer skin flap opened abruptly and they both turned to look. Kirishima held the door frame catching his breath.

"Bakugo, soldiers from Ignis are at the base of the mountain" He said

"What?" Bakugo said as he stood up, "Is King Endeavor with them?"

"No, it's his son Prince Todoroki?"

"Why the hell would he send him?"

"I do not know sir."

A soft growl escaped Bakugo's throat, "I will go and see what they want." He said and turned to Izuku, "Deku! You are coming with me."

Izuku eyes widened, "W-what? Why me?"

"Because I said so." Bakugo said, grabbing his wrist and yanking him to a standing position, "Now come on!"

He dragged him along to the cliff edge, letting out a large whistle. Scatha landed in front of them with a large thud. Bakugo reached out and patted her nose.

"You can smell them, can't you girl?" He whispered, and she let out a large huff, "I know, I'll make them go away, I promise."

He turned to Izuku, "Come on." He said and helped him up onto her before hoisting himself up and settling himself in front of him. He grabbed Izuku's arm and pulled it around his waist.

"Don't you dare fall off." He said, and Izuku swallowed and nodded; wrapping his arms firmly around Bakugo's waist.

"Let's fly" Bakugo yelled as Scatha reared up and took off.

 _Let me know what you think_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI: The Prince of Ignis**

They flew to the east side of the mountain and through the mist of the cloaking spell. Izuku peered down once they were clear of the mist to see six knights in shining armor standing behind a man. His clothes were dark blue and white, the colors of Ignis.

They landed in front of the man. Now closer, Izuku could see that half of his hair was red and half of his hair was white. Under the red side of his hair lay a large burn around his eye. The blue of his vest and shoes a sharp contrast to the white of his shirt and pants. He stood tall, calm yet a bit intimidating upon first glance. Bakugo hopped off of Scatha and walked over to him.

"What are you doing here Todoroki?" Bakugo asked, a slight growl to his voice.

"I came to collect the shipment you promised my father." He said, slightly glaring at Bakugo.

"I always send it via messenger, why is it now that Endeavor chose to send a party to collect it?"

"My father was hoping that I may be able to persuade you to change your mind from your and his previous conversation. So he sent me to pick up the shipment in person." Prince Todoroki said, looking indifferent to the matter.

"Well talk all you like, I am not changing my mind." Bakugo said, crossing his arms across his chest.

As they spoke, another dragon landed next to Scatha and made Izuku jump. Kirishima was riding on the back of a large green dragon. The dragon was similar in size to Scatha but had eyes the same color as the ocean, with blue at the base of its scales along its face.

"Didn't mean to scare you Izuku." Kirishima said, rubbing the back of his head.

"N-no problem. Hey how do you know my name?" Izuku asked.

"Recovery Girl told me. Bakugo likes to give people nicknames when he initially meets them. I think it also gives him time to learn their real names. I was Shitty Hair when we first met" He smiled brightly, pointing to his long red hair.

Izuku smiled as well, "I don't believe it looks bad at all." His gaze went back to the prince and Bakugo, "They aren't to fond of each other, are they?"

"You noticed huh? Yeah, they can be civil, but King Endeavor sends his son when he either doesn't feel like talking about an issue or thinks Bakugo just needs to hear it from young man's point of view. It is quite patronizing."

"Sounds like it."

Kirishima pulled a small bag from the back of his dragon, "When Bakugo asks for the shipment, hand him this. I think the Prince may ask for it."

Izuku nodded and took the bag, opening it up and peering inside. Inside were hundreds of small to medium jewels. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds; all glittering in the sunlight. In the small bag must have been hundreds, no thousands of gold coins worth of jewels. Izuku almost wanted to throw it from his hand, not feeling worthy to hold such valuable goods.

"A-a shipment for what?!" Izuku exclaimed, looking at Kirishima. Kirishima smiled.

"They sent us some supplies to make stronger weapons and some food when our harvest was low. We promised them the jewels in return."

Izuku nodded slowly, his eyes falling back to the bag as he closed it.

"Bring me the shipment!" Bakugo called behind him, finally having enough of what the prince had to say. Kirishima took off and Izuku slowly got down from the large dragon and handed him the bag. Bakugo handed it to Prince Todoroki.

"It is all there." Bakugo said, "I had my men double check it. You may check it yourself if you feel so inclined"

Prince Todoroki handed it to one of his knights, who began checking it. Though the prince's eyes wandered to Izuku.

"Have I met you before?" He asked

Izuku swallowed slightly, "Y-yes your majesty. My name is Izuku Midoryia, I am a apprentice of All Might. I have traveled with him to meet with King Endeavor before and stayed in your castle."

Prince Todoroki smiled, a softness showing in his eyes, "Now I remember, you were the one that tripped when you and he approached the thrones. You nearly broke your nose."

Izuku averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks glowing red. "Y-yes, that was me."

The prince eyed him up and down, "Though that is not the typical attire seen in Ignis." He said, and turned to Bakugo, "You made it very clear to my father that no outsiders were allowed in your village, thus why we always have to meet at the base of the mountain. Has that tradition changed?"

Izuku began to sweat, worried that he would be the cause of a fight. Bakugo's eyes met the prince's.

"As he said he is a student of All Might. All Might aided our village a long time ago and was the only outsider we ever permitted. The great wizard came to my people and asked if his apprentice could live among us for a time. He is to learn and assimilate into our culture while he is here. Thus he needed proper attire. You and your father, like many other outsiders have attempted to exploit my culture and my people, thus the tradition remains."

The prince's eyes darted between the two of them, before he nodded his head, "Fair enough. Ida, is it all there?"

The knight stood at attention and handed him the bag, "Yes sir. All the requested jewels are accounted for."

"You have what you have come for, so now you are welcome to leave" Bakugo said, standing his ground, "Also tell Endeavor that my mind remains unchanged."

Prince Todoroki glared at him, "I will deliver your message." He said, and turned to Izuku, flashing another smile and placing his hand on his chest and bowing forward slightly, "It was very pleasant seeing you again Midoryia, hopefully we will meet again."

Izuku smiled at him and bowed, "O-of course you majesty."

Prince Todoroki and the knights turned and collected their horses before riding away. Bakugo waited to they were well out of sight before heading back to his dragon.

"W-wait Kacchan! Why did you lie to him about why I was here?"

Bakugo patted Scatha on the nose before turning to Izuku, "I didn't want him to know that we had been attacked. Knowing his father, he would use the opportunity to try to overwhelm us. This way, he believes we are in contact with All Might and won't try anything" Bakugo said.

"S-so it was true. All Might was the only outsider you let into the village?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, a very long time ago when I was a child. He came and assisted my family with some things." He said and turned to Izuku, "Now come on."

Izuku nodded and walked towards him. He grabbed his hand and pulled him against the dragon. His hands on either side of Izuku's head as he huddled over him. Izuku's back pressed against the smooth scales of the dragon. She lightly growled in protest, but didn't move.

"K-Kacchan what are you doing?" Izuku asked as his face began to get hot. He could make out every curve and crease on Bakugo's face and chest and feel his hot breath against his face.

"What did you call me?" Bakugo asked, with a slight growl to his voice. The nickname jabbed at him. He had no issues of him calling him Bakugo or even Kaksuki, but something about him addressing him so informally made him unspeakably pissed.

Izuku stood up straighter and puffed out his chest slightly, "Well, you keep insisting on calling me Deku, and I am certain that you were the boy that I played with when I was younger. So its all fair that I should be able to call you by your old nickname."

Bakugo sneered at him, "Are you forgetting your place?"

Izuku pushed forward from the dragon, his chest nearly touching Bakugo's, "You were my friend. At the time I knew you we were equals. Why should now be any different?" He didn't know what it was about Bakugo, but he brought out a different side of him. He normally hated conflict and confrontation, and avoided it whenever possible. However, Bakugo's abrasive attitude made him want to fight back, to push his buttons. Part of his mind wanted to see how far would be too far. He couldn't help but notice the flames that danced in Bakugo's eyes, and he wanted to feel that fire.

A harsh growl rose from Bakugo and he could see the wizard jump slightly. This damned wizard would be the death of him. He wanted to hit him, crush him for his insolence, but something stopped him. Being this close to him, he realized his hair smelled like evergreens and his eyes looked like a glittering lake on a summer day. Thoughts would drift into his head regarding how well his old shirt suited the young wizard. Even being in this position, a portion of his mind had other plans for what to do to him.

 _'Damn you Deku!'_ He thought as he backed off.

"Do whatever you want, you damn nerd." He said before hoisting Izuku up onto Scatha before jumping on himself. Izuku's arms settled around his waist, holding onto him for safety. A slight blush creeped up his neck. His brain was jumbled and he didn't know what to think. He lightly tapped Scatha and she reared up, taking off in a swift motion.

Scatha took the long way around back to the village, understanding that her master needed some time to cool off.

 _Let me know what you think_ _?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII: What is this?**

Izuku promised Bakugo and Recovery Girl that he would remain in the village for two weeks. A messenger got the message to All Might and to his mother to ensure that they weren't worried. The letter he received back from his mother was partially soaked in tears, so some of the worry couldn't be avoided.

Izuku and Bakugo also became glued to one another. Though their companionship was partially forced due to the King's promise to the village elders, he was beginning to not mind. One morning he woke up and Izuku was outside on the roof.

"What are you doing Deku?" He called as he climbed up there with him

"Drawing." Izuku said, never breaking his focus on what he was doing.

Bakugo looked over to where he was looking at. One of the large, golden dragons was perched on a large bolder. The dragons head was held high as it surveyed the area, its gold scales glittering in the sunlight. At first, Bakugo thought it may be looking for food, but at they sat there, he began to notice the beast would occasionally look over at them before turning it's head this way and that.

Bakugo chuckled, "Deku I think she is posing for you."

Izuku giggled slightly, "You think so?"

"Absolutely, if you want I can get you closer to a nest."

Izuku paused his drawing and looked at Bakugo, "W-wait really?!"

"Of course, just follow my lead and I can get in one."

"T-that would be phenomenal!"

"We will go this afternoon then."

 **X**

After Izuku finished up helping Recovery Girl for the day, he met Bakugo on the western edge of the village. Bakugo smiled as Izuku approached.

"You ready?" Bakugo asked and Izuku nodded. He led Izuku out of the village and up one of the smaller peaks. Soon the distant figures of the dragons became large shadows flying overhead the canopy of forest around them. The proximity made Izuku both scared and excited for their adventure. Bakugo seemed unphased by the massive creatures around them.

As they reached the summit of the peak, Bakugo held out his arm to stop Izuku. They had reached the forest. Izuku looked over at him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Now I need you to listen to me." Bakugo whispered, his face hard and focused. Izuku nodded, "Do not act skittish around the mother, she will take you for a snack. Don't try to act tough and challenge her. She will think that your trying to hurt her young. Remain calm and follow my lead. Then watch what happens."

Izuku swallowed slightly and nodded once more, trying to calm his nerves. Bakugo walked forward, slowly and calmly with Izuku following behind. The nest that lay in front of them was massive, imitating the foundation for a large house. Crawling around it were three infant dragons. No larger than a medium sized dog, the golden, glittering dragons nipped and pounced at one another. They didn't even notice the two approach, to focused on their play.

Izuku's breath was taken away. He had never seen such beautiful creatures in such an innocent act. He leaned down next to the nest, content with watching the children play. Until he felt warm breath run down his back.

He looked up to see the large golden nose of their mother, whose face alone was the same height he was about three inches from his own. Her wings out stretched behind her blocked the sun, casting them both in shadow. One of her paws landed next to him as her lips curled back into a snarl. He tried to remember Bakugo's words, but worry and fear bubbled up deep inside him.

Bakugo stepped forward, putting himself between Izuku and the mother as he felt the wizard begin to lose his cool. Izuku's eyes darted between Bakugo and the mother.

The mother snarled and roared at Bakugo. His hair moved with her roar, but he stood strong. He slowly walked up to her. As he got closer he held out his hand, palm up.

"I mean you nor your children any harm. My friend here has never seen a nest. Yours being as beautifully crafted as it is made me want to show him what true craftsmanship was." Bakugo whispered. The mother's face calmed and she leaned towards his palmed hand.

"Deku! Your notebook!" Bakugo called, and Izuku quickly nodded. Digging through he bag, he quickly found his notebook and threw it towards Bakugo, who caught it one swift motion.

Bakugo opened it at the page of the large, golden dragon from this morning, "He is also an artist. Could he draw your nest?"

The mother slowly backed up and sat down. Bakugo walked back to Izuku and handed him his notebook before sitting down next to him.

"Draw." Bakugo commanded.

Izuku's face went blank with confusion before he realized what had just happened. He quickly pulled out a pencil and began to draw the large nest, along with the children playing inside. Once that sketch was done, he turned the page and drew the mother, dutifully watching over her children. Once he was done, Bakugo yanked the notebook from his hands and showed the mother the pictures. She nodded in approval. He handed the notebook to Izuku and stood. Izuku quickly stood up as well.

"Let's get going" Bakugo said, and Izuku nodded before standing and bowing to the mother and walked ahead of Bakugo.

Once under the cover of the trees, Izuku's legs finally gave out. He fell back against Bakugo, sending them both back and sitting on the ground.

"Deku what the hell?!" Bakugo yelled. Izuku leaned against him and wrapped his arm around Bakugo's neck in a soft hug.

"T-that was incredible." He whispered, squeezing Bakugo's neck slightly as a large, goofy grin spread across his face, "Thank you Kacchan…"

Bakugo swallowed slightly. His mind and his body were at odds with one another. The feeling of Izuku's touch sent chills down his spine. His mind was racing with images and scenarios of the thousands of different ways this interaction could go. His stomach twisted and jumped inside him.

 _'How does he do this to me?'_ He thought.

"Keh" He said, his scowl attempting to cover his embarrassment, "You're the one who almost ruined it. I told you to stay calm, didn't I?"

"You did, I guess I am just a bad listener." Izuku said, a playful tone to his voice that nearly sent Bakugo over the edge.

"Damn it Deku! Get off! We have to get back before it gets dark!" Bakugo yelled, steam coming off of his face as he pushed Izuku off.

Izuku laughed, "O-one problem." He said

"Yeah and what is that?" Bakugo growled

"I really don't think I can walk…"

"DAMN IT DEKU!"

 **X**

A thin, silver-haired man walked down a darkened hallway. The stone walls surround him cold and still. Feeling as if the walls were closing in on him, he began to itch his neck mercilessly. Scrapes and scabs littered his neck from his itching.

At the end of the hall, he approached a large wooden door. Before he could knock, the heavy door opened with the command of "Come in" following from a deep voice that lay within.

The silver-haired man stopped itching and stepped in, "M-Master, I have just learned that the Dragon King survived our attack." He said, his voice breathy and shrill.

A large man sat in front of him on a wooden thrown, leaning to the side on his hand. The upper half of his face concealed by a red and white fox mask, and his body cast in shadow by his dark robes.

"Not only that, but All Might's brat is hanging out in the village!" The silver-haired man yelled, beginning to scratch his neck once more.

"Calm yourself Shigaraki." The large man spoke, his voice deep as thunder, "Everything is beginning to fall into place."

Shigaraki slowly began to stop scratching and bowed, "Y-yes master."

 **X**

After Bakugo reluctantly carried Izuku back to the village. They made dinner and headed upstairs. Izuku was exhausted and fell asleep fairly quickly. Bakugo stayed up and pulled out Izuku's notebook and looked through it. The candle he had lit provided a soft and warm light in the shadowy darkness of the room.

The pictures of the dragons and of the village were precise and immaculate. Izuku was able to capture even the slightest of details, even within a simple sketch. In some of the drawings, Izuku had turned them into diagrams. He broke down the dragons estimated wing span, the differences in their colors and even the slight differences in their feet. As Bakugo flipped through them, he was amazed at how much the young wizard was beginning to understand the dragons.

The last drawings he wasn't fully prepared for. The drawing on the left side of the page was a full portrait of himself; standing straight with his cape frozen in time behind him. The drawing to the right of the page was a portrait of just his face. His features preserved in a face of indifference. Instead of facts, these images had questions.

 _Where did he get the wolf fur?_ It stated, an arrow pointing towards the collar of his cape.

 _What does this symbol mean?_ Pointing towards one of the tattoos on his chest.

 _Are his earrings a symbol of status?_ Pointing towards the earrings he had worn at the feast.

Only one thing was written next to the face portrait.

 _He should smile more._

A blush crept up his cheeks. He turned the page, only to see a portrait of him leaning back and smiling. He slammed the notebook shut. Quickly looking up to ensure he didn't wake his roommate. Izuku stirred slightly, but did not wake. His heart raced, his stomach doing cartwheels inside him. He quickly put the notebook away and began making his way over to his bed, but he couldn't help but look behind him.

Without thinking, his legs moved towards the green-haired wizard sleeping soundly on his side on the other bed. Sitting down next to his bed and laying on his side. His hand ran lightly through the mossy hair on Izuku's head and he played with the ends. Izuku turned over in his sleep, laying on his back. His lips slightly parted and Bakugo swallowed slightly. He carefully got up and moved on top of Izuku. A small smile graced Izuku's lips as he slept.

Bakugo's eyes darted between Izuku's sleeping eyes and his lips. It would be so simple to taste his lips. Izuku was such a heavy sleeper anyway, he probably wouldn't even react.

 _'Though if he did react, would that be such a bad thing?'_ He thought, slowly leaning down.

An inch before their lips touched, he lost his nerve. Leaning up on his knees, he ran his hands through his hair and over his face.

 _'What the hell am I thinking?!'_ He thought, looking at the wizard one more.

 _'Damn it Deku, what sort of spell have you placed on my heart?'_ He thought before standing, going over to his bed and blowing out the candle, _'I need sleep'_

 _Let me know what you think_ _😊 I love reading reviews._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII: Separation**

Izuku sat on the edge of the large window of Bakugo's bedroom. The sun was barely beginning to rise over the large mountains, casting a warm glow into the room. Bakugo lay sleeping in his bed behind Izuku. Izuku hadn't been able to sleep much the night before.

The last two weeks went by faster than he thought that they would. He had become accustomed to the daily routines of the village. It already felt like he had lived here for years. He also was beginning to greatly enjoy staying with Bakugo.

He looked over at the sleeping king. His heart quickened as he watched him sleep and his hand slowly rose to his chest. He often imagined what it would be like to wake up in Bakugo's bed, and all the circumstances that could lead to that occurring.

 _'_ _That's ridiculous though.'_ He thought, _'He's the king, and I'm just a wizard, an apprentice at that! Plus… he probably has a dozen concubines who know him, what he likes and what he doesn't.'_ He brought his knee to his chest and rested his chin on it, _'I would have no chance competing with that'_

As he watched the sun rise, his mind began to wander. A few nights ago, he had a dream that Bakugo had pinned him down and attempted to kiss him. However, when he awoke; it was only darkness that surrounded him.

 _'_ _It would probably be nice to kiss him though…'_ He thought as his cheeks warmed up. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Bakugo wake up and begin to approach him.

"Morning." Bakugo said, and Izuku jumped, nearly falling out the window. Bakugo quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back in. Izuku stumbled against him, his head resting on Bakugo's chest.

"Damn it Deku! You can't be this clumsy in the morning. What if I hadn't caught you?" Bakugo shouted, holding Izuku's shoulders so he could meet his gaze.

Izuku tried to respond, but nothing came out. His brain was trying to sort everything out. His heart was racing from almost falling, but looking into Bakugo's bright eyes after all the thoughts he had made his throat feel dry.

"Well? Are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to say something?" Bakugo demanded, leaning closer and resting his hands on the window sill. Izuku's hands resting being him as his lower back pressed against the wall of the window. He looked away, no longer able to meet Bakugo's gaze and maintain his sanity. Bakugo grabbed his chin and turned his head roughly, holding it in place and glaring at him.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you" he growled. Izuku swallowed slightly, attempting to find some eminent of his voice.

"T-t-thank you" Izuku whispered, his voice slightly rough from his dry throat, "I-I-I'm sorry for being clumsy"

Bakugo held his gaze for what felt like hours, though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. There was something hypnotizing about the king's stare. Izuku could feel the anger and frustration coming from him, but there was something else; something he couldn't identify.

Bakugo's eyes glanced at Izuku's lips. Izuku's breath hitched in his throat.

 _'_ _What is he thinking?'_ Izuku wondered. He wanted to do something, anything to let him know it was okay. However, his brain was so scrambled that he could barely focus.

Bakugo backed up, releasing Izuku's chin as his face steeled back into a mask of annoyance, though his eyes still held the unidentifiable emotion.

"Come on." Bakugo ordered, "Let's go make breakfast."

Izuku wasn't sure what to think. Part of him wanted a hole to open in the floor and swallow him up. However, another part of him wanted to demand that he know what Bakugo was thinking. He wanted to push him against a wall and steal the kiss he so desired, just to see the king react. As Bakugo began to turn away, he reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"W-wait!" He said. Bakugo turned to him.

"Well, what is it?" Bakugo said through gritted teeth.

Izuku let go of his hand and looked down, "I-it's nothing…"

Bakugo furrowed his brow in confusion, and turned away. "I'll meet you down there" he said, turning and leaving through the trap door. Once he touched the floor, it took all the self-control he possessed not to slam his fist through the wall.

 _'_ _What the hell was I thinking?!_ ' He thought. For a split second as he was holding Izuku in place, his mind wanted desperately to connect Izuku's lips with his own, and when Izuku reached for him; he was tempted to tackle him to the bed. Izuku had changed back into his clothes from Ignis, and he wanted to tear them from his body. Destroy them so he would have to remain in the clothes he gave him.

 _'_ _My clothes… showing he was mine…'_ He thought as he began hastily cutting the ingredients for their breakfast. Everyone in the village had grown accustom to always seeing the two them together, and though he knew a few members of the village were growing fond of the young wizard; he knew he could make it clear to them that he was taken.

 _'_ _Except… he isn't…'_ He thought, pouring the cut vegetables and the rice into the pot before setting it over the cooking fire, _'Because I won't seal the fucking deal'_

Izuku came down the ladder and sat down by the small table, unable to look at Bakugo.

 _'_ _Am I misreading something?'_ Izuku thought. His heart was still racing and his mind was spinning. His eyes wandered to Bakugo as he cooked their meal. The muscles of his back rolling with each stir of the pot.

"What are you not telling me, Kacchan?" He whispered. Bakugo perked up and looked at him.

"Oi, what did you say Deku?" Bakugo inquired as he filled two bowls for them and brought it over to Izuku. Handing it to him, Izuku nodded in thanks and glared down into the bowl.

"Nothing important…" he said, refusing to meet Bakugo's gaze.

Bakugo glared at him while he sat down and began to eat. Within a few minutes the silence began to eat at them, the tension from that morning pressing on them. It felt like it would crush them if they let it.

"So you're heading back today?" Bakugo questioned, trying to remain casual.

"Yes, I have to return to my studies and speak with All Might." Izuku replied, attempting to mimic Bakugo's demeanor.

"When would you like to leave?"

"High noon or mid afternoon at the latest."

Bakugo nodded before finishing up his food

"Thanks to you, I may need to find Recovery Girl an assistant." Bakugo spoke after a few moments, leaning back on his arms, "You have been a great aid to her"

Izuku perked up slightly, his eyes softening and his shoulders slouching in embarrassment, "I-I'm happy to help."

Bakugo slowly got up and walked past Izuku, messing up Izuku's hair as he passed before leaning against the wall next to one of the large tapestries, "I may have to come and visit you once in a while."

Izuku turned and looked at him, "T-that would be nice, I-I could show you Ignis."

Bakugo smiled a soft, playful smile, "Plus it would piss off Endeavor, and more importantly that half-and-half prince."

Izuku's brow furrowed in confusion. Based on their last interaction with Prince Todoroki, the prince was intrigued with his present in the village, but nothing more than that.

 _'_ _So why does he sound almost…possessive?'_ Izuku thought, turning around to fully face the king, "I-I can't see why they would necessarily care?"

Bakugo shrugged, "Endeavor doesn't like me that much, and I doubt he would like a dragon that close to his kingdom. As for Half-and-Half, I knew you were oblivious but I didn't think you were completely blind."

Izuku was taken aback, "W-what do you mean?"

Bakugo looked away, a light blush coating his cheeks. He saw how the prince had given Izuku the once over. It irritated him to no end. It also didn't help that he already thought Izuku was undoubtedly attractive in his old clothes. Furthermore, the prince would probably be quite pleased if he could swoop in and take something that he knew Bakugo wanted.

 _'_ _Wait does he mean-'_ Izuku thought, the blood rose quickly to his face and he looked to the floor. There was no way that Prince Todoroki would like him in that way. It was unfathomable, yet Bakugo spoke of it like it was as clear as the morning sun.

A slight smile cracked on Bakugo's face, watching the embarrassment take over the young wizard.

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Bakugo jested.

Izuku's eyes slowly turned to Bakugo, "I doubt that's the case" he said, his voice quiet as he played with the fingers of his gloves.

A sudden laugh erupted from Bakugo's throat, "What is it that hard to imagine someone being attracted to you?"

"Yes." Izuku said without a second thought. Bakugo's eyebrows raised and he almost physically stepped back.

 _'_ _Does he seriously think that poorly of himself?'_ Bakugo thought, his heart lurched slightly in his chest.

 _'_ _Damn it Deku! Do you even know how much I want to-'_ He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. Izuku eyes slowly fell on his, his eyebrow raising slightly. Bakugo peaked out one of the windows, noticing the sun getting higher in the sky.

"Come on, we need to go collect supplies for our journey" Bakugo declared, walking towards the door. Izuku nodded and slowly stood, walking behind him. Bakugo stopped at the door, his hand colliding with the doorframe, making the deer skin flap move from the force as sparks flew from his hand.

Izuku froze in place, wondering what could have angered Bakugo now. Bakugo looked over his shoulder, the flames dancing in his eyes once more.

"Be more confident in yourself." Bakugo ordered, "You may be useless at times, a bit clumsy and an intractable nerd,-" Izuku glared at him, wondering to himself what sort of pep talk this was supposed to be, "-but you have a caring heart. You bring out the kindness in others and that makes them want to be around you. You also aren't too bad to look at either. That alone should show you why others are attracted to you."

Izuku was taken aback, his fingers pinched his wrist slightly to prove he was awake. Which, indeed he was. He swallowed slightly and nodded.

"T-that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." He said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yeah, well don't get all mushy about it" Bakugo yelled, trying to hide his own embarrassment with rage, "Now come on you useless nerd!"

Bakugo stormed out of the hut towards the trading post in the center of town where they would collect their supplies. Izuku paused for a moment at the door, his hand raising over his heart. He wanted to make sure it hadn't stopped.

 _'_ _Did- Did he just complement me?'_ He thought, _'Is that really how he thinks of me?'_

He stood for a moment trying to catch his bearings. His eyes wandered around the village surrounding him. Now he didn't want to leave. He wanted more time with Bakugo. He wanted more moments like that, like this morning, like the day with the dragons, all of it. He wanted to know the king and to understand him on a deeper level. And, as it was becoming more and more evident with each passing day, he wanted him. He wanted each morning to awake with him in his bed, and each night to be filled fiery kisses and soft caresses.

"Deku! Come on I said!" Bakugo yelled from about twenty feet in front of him. The command lurched him out of his thoughts.

"R-Right! Coming!" He called, running after Bakugo

 _'_ _Is this what it feels like to fall for someone/'_ He thought.

—

 _Let me know what you think :D_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter IX: Oh what to do?

After grabbing supplies, they took off for Ignis. As they flew north from the mountain, vast green fields spread out below them with small farming villages popping up occasionally between them. Izuku was fascinated by how all the inhabitants of the villages looked like working ants as they moved about their daily chores. Within a couple of hours, the edge of the forest came into view. Among the vast canopy of trees, Bakugo found a large meadow to land.

Scatha came down to a smooth stop in the soft grass and laid down. Bakugo hopped off and helped Izuku off. Izuku grabbed his bag, throwing it over his shoulder as well as a few supplies for the hike back to his home.

"Have everything you need?" Bakugo asked, leaning against Scatha. Izuku walked up to the massive dragon's nose and patted her lightly. She let out a contented sigh, small trails of smoke coming from her nostrils.

"I think so." He said as he stood, 'Except my heart. Oh wait, you have that.' He thought.

Bakugo's eyebrow raised slightly. Izuku had been a bit off since this morning like he couldn't seem to get out of his head. Throughout collecting supplies and even flying, he seemed distracted.

Bakugo stepped a bit closer to him; Izuku jumped slightly, trying to regain some semblance of personal space. Bakugo chuckled softly, reaching forward and lightly dislodging some leaves that had found shelter in Izuku's hair.

"You can sure be skittish Deku," Bakugo said.

Izuku looked away, "Sorry." He muttered.

"It's charming in its' way."

Izuku felt his cheeks getting hot as he fiddled with the strap of his bag, "W-will you come and visit soon?"

"Probably, Recovery Girl will probably send me to retrieve you if she needs help." Bakugo's fingers lingered for a second near his cheek.

'Is that the only reason?' Izuku thought, looking at the ground.

Bakugo's eyebrow raised as he stepped closer, "What is going on with you Deku?"

A shiver raked through Izuku's body as he felt the king's warm breath so close to his ear, "N-nothing!" He yelled, louder than he originally intended. His hand rubbed the back of his neck, "I-it's nothing, j-just trying to organize everything I need to do when I get home in my head."

Bakugo stepped back, "Then I shall get going." He got up onto Scatha and lightly nudged her. She growls as she stood up. Izuku stepped back to give the dragon room to move around.

"W-wait!" He called, holding his hand out in front of him. Bakugo looked down at him as he swallowed slightly, "I-I hope to see you again soon. Please visit whenever you like." He said, smiling softly.

A cocky smile formed across Bakugo's face, "Oh I will. I won't forget you Deku, just like I know you cannot forget me." Bakugo proclaimed as Scatha took off for the sky. Izuku watched them soar high above him. His heart was trying to beat out of his chest.

'I certainly can't forget about you, Kacchan' He thought before quickly turning around and hiking back home.

X

Shigaraki sat on the stairs of a large, dark temple. The sharp angles of the roof glittered in the night; the spires on either side of him a deep red color, like the building was bleeding. A dense fog surrounded the grounds of the temple, a stillness in the air like time itself had paused. His thick black robes lightly moved in the wind.

Two figures slowly emerged from the fog. To the left was a short, young woman. She wore a short green dress with a brown corset around her waist, black trousers hugging close to her legs. A belt hung loosely on her hips, glittering with knives of all kinds. Her long blond hair was in two small buns atop her head. On the right was a tall man with thick, black hair spiked atop his head. He wore loose purple robes, looking like a monk. The skin that could be seen was littered with scars, under his eyes, and around his jaw. He looked more like a victim of the devil's dealings than a man of Buddha.

"Are you Shigaraki?" The woman asked, her voice shrill and excited.

"Who would like to know?" Shigaraki asked.

"My name is Toga, and this is Dabi." The woman said, "We want to join your group?"

"What if we don't need you?"

"Shigaraki, don't be mean." A deep voice rang from the temple, "Invite them in. They may prove to be useful."

Shigaraki slowly stood, turning and entering the large temple doors while the two strangers followed behind.

X

Izuku's head dropped to the desk in frustration. The vast library surrounding him illuminated with bright light, and the books flew like small birds from shelf to shelf as they were selected and organized away simultaneously. Izuku was sitting at a large table, several books surrounding him in large piles. He had been researching injuries and potions needed to heal them, however; he couldn't focus on the research.

Each time he managed to get lost in his work, thoughts of Bakugo would sneak into his mind. Each moment he was left wondering what Bakugo was doing and when he would come back. It also didn't help that Izuku wasn't sleeping very well, with dreams plaguing him of Bakugo sneaking through his window, not speaking a word but letting his actions speak for him.

Izuku lifted his head; his notebook splayed open with a few notes written on the page he was on. He flipped to his drawing of Bakugo smiling, a soft sigh escaping his throat.

'Do you even realize what you do to me?' He thought as he looked at the drawing, 'I wonder what you are doing right now?'

"He's cute, who is he?" A soft, calm voice questioned from behind him. He jumped slightly and turned. It was his friend Uraraka, a young witch a broad smile and bright pink cheeks stood behind him.

He glanced from her to the drawing, "N-no one, j-just a friend of mine." He said nervously, trying to flip back to his notes.

"Oh sure, just a friend." She joked as she sat next to him, "That is an attentive drawing for someone who you see as 'just a friend.'" She said, using her hands to create air quotes around "just a friend."

"H-He has a nice smile," Izuku said, staring at the table as he refused to look Uraraka in the eye.

'Oh Izuku, you're in deep aren't you?' She thought, a slightly sad smile forming on her lips.

"So where have you been?" She asked, "I haven't seen you in here in weeks."

Izuku composed himself and smiled her, "All Might sent me to do some studying in the mountains. He said it would be good for me to understand the different environments I may encounter as a fully trained wizard."

"Oh, so he's from the mountains?"

"W-well yes." He pressed the tips of his fingers together, his eyes focusing on a book attempting to find its home on one of the shelves.

"Ooh, love in the wilds of the forest." She said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"I-It wasn't like that!" He proclaimed, his eyes wide as his cheeks heated up, his mind flooded with the memory of being pinned against the window as well as the dreams his mind conjured up.

"I-I don't think likes me like that," he said as he rubbed his neck, his eyes softening and his mouth falling into a frown as his eyes focused on the floor.

"Do you know that for a fact?" She asked, caressing his cheek and lifting his chin, so his eyes met hers.

A small laugh escaped his lips, a soft smile forming that didn't quite reach his eyes, "Well no, but feelings are the hardest thing to read."

"I am not interrupting anything, am I?" A tall woman said as she approached them. It was Professor Midnight; she taught potions. Her thick red glasses contrasted with the rest of her black robes, only matching the rubies around her neck.

"N-No ma'm," Izuku said as he jolted back in his seat. Uraraka smiled at her.

"Good afternoon professor," Uraraka said, and Midnight beamed at her.

"Good afternoon to you both. Midoryia, I wanted to let you know that All Might has requested to see you. He is in his workshop."

Izuku nodded, "Thank you, professor. I will go to see him right away" he said

Izuku got up and gathered his things, placing a spell on the books he was looking at, so they floated back to their shelves with the others.

X

Izuku arrived at All Might's workshop. It was a quaint, tiny hut on the east side of town. He pushed the door open with his shoulder, knocking over a pile of books that sitting behind it.

"All Might!" He called, "I'm here!" He cast a spell on the pile of books, so they flew to a corner and stacked themselves accordingly.

"Midoryia, come in." a craggy voice of an old man called. Izuku walked in and shut the door behind him, his brow furrowed slightly. He looked around the room until he found the owner of the voice. A short old man with spiky gray hair stood at the top one of the bookshelves on a ladder, muttering to himself as he searched the titles.

"Grand Torino, what are you doing here?" Izuku asked, holding the ladder steady for him.

"Toshinori needed to run to a meeting. He told me you should be coming soon, so he wanted me to entertain you while till his return" Grand Torino said as he continued searching.

Izuku nodded before leaning against the shelf, keeping an eye on the ladder, so it didn't slip out from beneath Grand Torino.

"So, you went to the Land of the Dragons I hear." Grand Torino said

Izuku perked up, "Y-yes, I healed the Dragon King and he invited me to stay in his village. I helped the village wise woman with treating injuries and ailments."

"You know not many wizards can say that they have blessed with that honor. Tell me, what do you think of the young Dragon King."

"Well" Izuku fiddled with his glove, "He's cocky, arrogant, rude, quick-tempered and avaricious" he walked over to a table shoved into the corner of the room, grabbing the chair and sitting down. Grand Torino stopped his searching and looked over at Izuku, his eyebrows raising.

"He's also" Izuku continued, folding his hands and leaning down on his legs and looking at the floor, "extremely honorable, strong and thoughtful. A devoted king to his people like none I have ever seen before."

Grand Torino slowly got down from the ladder, "Is that so? Are you going to see him again?" He asked

Izuku sighed, "I-I don't know. He said he might come and see me if the wise woman needs me, but other than that" He said as fiddled with a string coming off his sleeve, trying to not overthink about it.

The short old man grabbed his walking stick and leaned up against the shelf, "And I'm guessing it's not easy for you to go and visit him."

"No, a cloaking spell protects the whole village. I wouldn't be able to find it on my own." Izuku ran his hand through his hair, "Plus, what would I even say? 'Hey Kacchan, I ventured out here in hopes I would find your village to get to see you again. How are you?' Ridiculous." He said with a huff, his eyes gliding across the floor over to a pile of books on the other side of the room, his cheeks slightly red.

"Well, glad to know you've fallen for him already. When should we expect the wedding?" Grand Torino said as he dusted off the front of his robes.

A visible shiver shot up Izuku's back, his face turning beat red, "W-wait! I-It's not like that!" He yelled, his hands covering his face.

"Who's wedding are we attending?" Another man stated as he walked into the workshop. He was a tall, slender man with bright blonde hair spiking from his head with bangs framing his angular face.

"Oh Toshinori, welcome back." Grand Torino said, "Young Midoryia was just telling me about his experiences in the Land of the Dragons."

"Oh really, did you manage to find a girl while you were up there? Have you told your mother about the engagement?"

Izuku refused to look at either one of them, trying to figure out how the conversation turned to this, "A-All Might, you wanted to talk to me about something." He said quietly.

The thinner man smiled, "Yes, come with me." He said, motioning with his hand as he walked towards a study in the back of the workshop.

Izuku stood and followed, chancing one last glance at Grand Tornio, who smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Izuku quickly caught up to All Might.

The room was small, filled to the brim with books and scrolls with a single desk sitting in the middle. All Might sat down on the stool by the counter, placing his hands in his lap and looking up at the ceiling. Izuku dusted off a small trunk and sat on it.

"So, you were scarce on details in your letter regarding exactly why you went to the Land of the Dragons." All Might said, his eyes wandering over to Izuku.

"Y-yes, the circumstance was kind of peculiar. I didn't know how to go about explaining it in writing." Izuku said, resting his hands in his lap.

"Then why not try now?"

Izuku looked at the floor, trying to find the words, "I found the Dragon King in one of the caves north of here. He was severely injured, and it took me a few days to heal him. After that, he wished to return to his village and recruited me to come with him. His village was attacked by wizards wielding dark magic, and he was unsure what state his people were in."

All Mights eyebrows raised, "Wizards using dark magic?"

Izuku nodded, "The Dragon King thought that King Endeavor might have sent them. King Endeavor had asked him to allow the king to draft his soldiers and dragons into his army, stating that war was to come if he didn't. The Dragon King refused."

"Thus King Endeavor may have sent dark wizards to massacre the Land of the Dragons to attempt to persuade him" All Might sighed, "I, unfortunately, can't say I disagree with the young king, and with your history, I bet you would have had the same thought."

Izuku nodded as he looked away. King Endeavor had declared war on a neighboring kingdom and drafted all the men from the nation to serve. His father went to join the army. A few weeks later they were told that during battle, he died. After that, he began studying healing magic, and All Might took him on as an apprentice.

"However, something doesn't sound right about that explanation" All Might continued, "King Endeavor may have sent soldiers, but dark wizards? Something about that doesn't sound right."

Izuku's eyes met his, "W-what do you mean?" He said

"You remember the story of how I obtained my power, correct?"

Izuku nodded, "Two brothers inherited powerful magic. One wished to rule the world, but the other wanted to protect it. The one who wanted power began welding dark magic to meet his goals. The other fought against him and eventually killed him, and developed a spell that allowed the magic transferred from one wizard to the next."

"Yes, and just like my master passed her magic onto me; I passed my magic onto you." He leaned forward, his finger touching his chin as he thought, "Though if I remember right, the story wasn't that the brother who wanted to protect the world killed his brother, but simply overwhelmed him."

"B-but All Might, that story happened over five-hundred years ago; there is no way that he could still be alive."

"Anything is possible Young Midoryia, though what he is would be after is still unclear."

"And what would he want with the Land of the Dragons."

"I have my thoughts, but I can't be sure. Though I would urge you to be cautious if you plan on returning there."

Izuku let out a soft laugh, "I don't think you have to worry about that." He said softly

All Might's eyebrows raised, "What did you do?"

Izuku looked away, "N-Nothing, Bakugo just told me he would come and visit me if the wise woman needs me. Given their history, they have remained secluded for a very long time, so I doubt that will be any time soon."

A small smile broke across All Might's face, "Well you know what they say?" He said.

Izuku's eyes met his, "What?" He asked

"Love always finds a way." He said as he turned towards his small desk.

Izuku bolted up, his face steaming, "I-I-I has to go!" He proclaimed and bolted for the door, rushing past Grand Torino.

"Have a good honeymoon!" Grand Torino called after him, causing him to quicken his pace. All Might got up and stood next to Grand Torino, smiling as Izuku disappeared into the distance.

"So, you believe that One for All has returned from the dead?" Grand Torino asked, turning his eyes to All Might.

All Might's smile slowly faded, "It's the only explanation that makes sense" he said

"And do you think he's after the little gift you received from the Land of the Dragons?"

"He craves power, and it would be the one thing that would give it to him."

Grand Torino's eyes fell back on the door, "When are you planning to tell Midoryia?"

All Might sighed, "Let us see if he returns there if he does I will make sure he knows." He turned and returned to his office. Grand Torino nodded.

As Izuku returned to his house, he began to calm down. He tried not to think too hard about what All Might had said. If he gave himself that kind of hope, whose to say how much farther he would fall for the Dragon King. His mother met him at the door.

"Izuku! You will never believe what came today!" His mother called from the porch. His heart fluttered slightly.

"W-What is it mom?" He asked, running up the steps to her side.

"Prince Todoroki invited you to the palace for tea tomorrow." She said. His eyes widened.

"W-What? H-He invited me?" He asked. She led him into the house and picked up the invitation from the coffee table.

"Yes, he sent a messenger this morning after you went to the library." She handed him the beautiful stationery. The gold trimmed paper of a royal summons, requesting his presence at tea tomorrow afternoon for a formal conference with the Prince. He slowly sat down on the couch.

'Kacchan was right.' He thought as realization washed over him and his eyes glided to the floor. He had met the Prince before and hadn't received any formal summons afterward. He sees him while in the Land of the Dragons, hanging out with the Dragon King and suddenly he's being summoned to the palace.

'Is this a date?' He thought, his eyes returning to the invitation.

"Izuku, Izuku!" His mother called, leaning closer to him. He perked up and met her gaze.

"So are you going to go?" She asked, "I mean certainly you have to go, it is a royal summons after all, but do you want to go?"

"I-I am going. H-he took the trouble of sending out a messenger. I-I might as well see what he would like to talk about." He said with a small smile.

His mother beamed at him, "Absolutely! Oh if you're going to the palace, I should iron your nice shirt!" She said as she scurried deeper into the house.

Izuku swallowed slightly, his eyes returning to the invitation.

'How will I explain to the prince that I'm in love with Kacchan?' He thought and slowly made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

—

Let me know what you think :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X: Chaos from within**

As the weeks went by, Bakugo began to grow more and more restless. Each day his mind would drift back to Izuku, and with each thought, his annoyance grew. If he could, he would fly back to Ignis and grab Izuku, tackle him in the forest and take every opportunity that he had missed while that green-haired wizard was in the village. However, his pride wouldn't let him.

'I am the king of a sovereign nation! Why should I be chasing after a scrawny Deku wizard?!' He thought as he walked towards the western side of the village. He passed by Recovery Girl's healing tent.

"Good Morning sir," she said with a small bow.

"Morning." He said, his jaw clenched. She stepped forward, blocking his path.

"I wish to speak with you, Bakugo," she said, placing both hands on her cane.

"Regarding what?" He said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"Izuku Midoryia"

He straightened up, his jaw tightening more as his hands formed into fists in his pockets, "What is it?"

"The elders spoke with me and wished for him not to return unless they or I request it."

He looked down, his stomach clenching deep within him, "Why the hell would that damn nerd need to return anyway" He growled out, before meeting her eyes once more, "Anything else?"

She shook her head, and he dashed across the village. She let out a heavy sigh, wishing she wouldn't have said anything.

A large outdoor arena lay out before him, the warriors scattered about in pairs training. He jumps up on one of the side walls.

"Warriors! Be ready! You are training with me today!" He called out, everyone looked up and swallowed slightly.

The arena lit up with each explosion that he released, smoke rising to the sky. Kirishima began to notice the king's restlessness, as well as started to worry for his fellow warriors. Any person that faced off against the king would end up badly burned from his explosions while Bakugo was calling for the next contender, considering their injuries as part of their training. Kirishima held his arm up in front of Kaminari, the warrior with bright yellow hair; who looked at him confused.

"Let me go next." He said and walked towards the training ground. On his way, he grabbed two swords.

Bakugo panted softly, his hands sparking as he looked up at Kirishima.

"Kirishima?! What the hell?" He yelled, he was confident that Karminari next, and he was looking forward to destroying the little lightning bolt.

"You want a training partner? Let's make this a little fairer." Kirishima said as tossed a sword over to Bakugo. Bakugo growled slightly and caught the sword and readied himself. Kirishima launched forward and their blades collided. As they fought, Kirishima spoke up.

"You usually leave the training to me. Did you need to burn off some energy?" Kirishima said.

"Shut up Shitty Hair," Bakugo ordered, as he shoved him back with his blade. Kirishima rolled his eyes and shot forward.

Their blades collided once more, "It has been a few weeks since Izuku went back to Ignis. Maybe that has something to do with it?" Kirishima said, pressing his blade against Bakugo's.

"I told you to shut up!" He growled and shoved Kirishima back running up and slashing hard with his sword. A massive thundering bang rang out as the blades collided. Kirishima leaned against the connected edges.

"Oh come on Bakugo, anyone with eyes could see that you like him!"

Bakugo shoved him back, a loud, vibrating sound rings from the swords as Kirishima stumbles back.

"I will run you through if you keep talking!" He yells and rushes towards him as he regains his footing and takes a hard slash at him. Kirishima blocks the strike and is shot back and lands on the ground, his blade shooting from his hand. Bakugo stands above him, the tip of his blade inches away from his Adam's apple.

"You lose" Bakugo growled and backed off, throwing his blade down, so it stabs into the ground. Kirishima sits up slowly.

Bakugo looks away, "Plus my feelings do not matter anyway" he growled softly, "The elders would not allow him back into the village unless Recovery Girl requests it. She told me that this morning."

Kirishima's eyes widened, "B-but you could visit him, right?"

Bakugo met his gaze, glaring at him, "I will not chase a stupid nerd like him." He quickly turned and ran off scowling.

Kirishima blinked as he watched the king disappear into the village. He quickly stood up, yelling to the warriors that training was over for the day as he rushed to Recovery Girl's healing tent. He nearly ran into her as she was walking a patient out.

"Kirishima, what are you doing here?" she said, placing a hand over her heart.

"I need to speak with you." He said as sweat rolled down his forehead from running. She nodded and led him inside.

"What do you need?" She walked over and sat down by the fire in the middle of the room.

"I need you to request that Izuku returns to the village."

Her eyes widened, and she blinked in confusion, "W-what?"

"King Bakugo in infatuated with the young wizard. If we want our army to survive long enough to protect us from those demons, then he needs to see the young wizard again." Kirishima sat down, resting his head on his hand.

"I-I am not preventing him from seeing Young Midoryia."

"He will not go to him on his own. You know how he is."

She looked down, her eyes darting back and forth as she thought, "Do you think that if he is allowed to bring him back to the village, then he would go after him?"

"If he thought it would aid the village, then he would be willing to do it."

She nodded and looked around. Her eyes were falling on the jar of moss that Izuku had left with her. Her eyes slowly return to Kirishima.

"I have an idea."

 **X**

Izuku attempted to smooth out his shirt and straighten his deep blue vest. He felt weird wearing the official colors of Ignis. He looked up and saw a large carriage approaches the house. He swallowed slightly. As the wagon came to a stop, a knight in bright, shining armor stepped out. Izuku raised his eyebrows, recognizing that it was one of the knights that had accompanied the prince when he had journeyed to meet with King Bakugo.

"Good Morning Mr. Midoryia, I am Sir Ida Tenya. I have come to accompany you to the palace" the knight said, taking a short bow.

Izuku bowed back, "G-Good Morning." He said

"If you would please follow me," Ida said as he turned and approached the carriage. Izuku fiddled with the strap of his bag as he entered the carriage. Ida got in and sat across from him as the wagon began to take off towards the palace.

Izuku looked up and saw Ida dutifully staring forward towards the wall behind him. He cleared his throat slightly and asked, "Sir Tenya, d-d…would you have any idea why the prince requested to see me?"

Ida's eyes slowly met Izuku's, "To be perfectly honest, I do not have the slightest idea. Prince Todoroki was quite surprised to see you when we met with King Bakugo. My guess would be he would like you to educate him more about what you learned there."

Izuku fiddled with the strap of his bag once more, 'That makes sense. He probably wants to understand how he could convince Kacchan to take King Endeavor's deal' He thought.

"Though he did also say you were quite attractive, so that could play a part as well," Ida said, his gaze shifting towards the window of the carriage. A shiver ran up Izuku's spine as his face heated up, making Ida smile, "Also, call me Ida. It would be more appropriate to call my brother Sir Tenya, as he is of the Royal Court."

Izuku looked at him confused, "B-but aren't you also?"

Ida shook his head, "I am part of the Royal Army, and direct guardsmen of Prince Todoroki. The Royal Court is a select group of knights that directly confer with King Endeavor. I hope to be selected as well for the Court once I am through with my training."

Izuku smiled, "That sounds like a good goal to strive for."

Ida smiled back, "I hope it comes sooner than later. Also, we have arrived."

A large white palace formed around them, lush gardens surrounding the gardens with large bushes of roses and flowers of all different kinds. Fountains sprang up here and there, angels and fairy's dances frozen in stone as water shot above them. The sunlight glittering of the marble of the stairs as the carriage slowed to a halt. Ida got up and opened the door, standing next to it as Izuku slowly made his way out. Two large wooden doors lay at the top of the large staircase and began in one swift motion. The prince slowly walked out to the landing at the top, standing in a relaxed position as Ida and Izuku ascended the stairs. Izuku focused all of his mental energy to not trip.

As he reached the top of the stairs, the Prince smiled at him, placing his hand over his heart and offering a short bow. Izuku bowed back.

"Good Morning, I am very pleased you were able to meet with me." The prince said.

Izuku smiled, "Thank you for the invitation." Izuku said

"Please, follow me." The prince gestured with his hand towards the door. Izuku followed him through the palace. The towering walls around him made him feel small. Giant paintings of King Endeavor and of the prince and his siblings placed throughout the walls. The Kings eyes seemed to bear down on anyone that passed, sending a shiver down Izuku's spine.

The prince led him to a large balcony, in the middle a large medal table lay littered with sweets and sandwiches. Izuku sat down in one of the chairs about four feet from the prince. One of the maids quickly rushed over and filled both of their cups.

Izuku thanked the maid and stirred the sugar into his tea, staring down as his other hand fidgeted beneath the table. The prince lifted his cup and gently sipped from it.

"Do you know why I have asked you here Midoryia?" The prince asked after a few minutes.

"Am I correct in assuming it regards the Land of the Dragons?" Izuku asked, his gaze meeting the Prince Todoroki.

The prince nodded, gently placing his teacup on the saucer.

"Sir, if you are hoping to-" Izuku began.

"Please, call me Shoto," said the prince.

Izuku nodded and continued, "Shoto, if you are hoping to gain knowledge on how to convince King Bakugo on fulfilling your father's request, I do not believe I will be of much help to you."

Shoto raised an eyebrow slightly, "Is that so?"

Izuku nodded, looking back at his tea. He took a small sip as he thought.

 _'_ _I can't tell him that Kacchan thinks the King sent men to kill his father. If that got back to King Endeavor, there is no saying what he might do.'_ Izuku thought and met the Shoto's gaze once again.

"From my understanding of their culture, they only wish to exist in peace. The dragons are a large part of their community and to put them in harm's way unless absolutely necessary would be out of the question. King Bakugo's only wish is to ensure the safety and well being of his people." Izuku said.

Shoto closed his eyes and slowly placed his tea on the table before returning his gaze to Izuku, "You are very knowledgeable of their customs, Midoryia" he said,

Izuku nodded, "I was sent there to learn."

"Is that all you were there for?"

A slight blush overtook Izuku's cheeks, "W-what are you implying?"

Shoto chucked slightly and smiled, "Nothing in particular."

Izuku looked away, gazing off the balcony as his cheeks burned, "T-The grounds of your palace are stunning."

Shoto's eyebrow raised slightly, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Izuku nodded, and they both stood, heading towards the garden.

 **X**

King Bakugo entered Recovery's Girl's medicine hut to see her skittering about from one corner of the room to another. A large bag sitting on her desk as she packed away clothes and supplies.

"You wanted to see me?" He said after a few moments of watching her.

She jumped, "Oh sir, you gave me a bit of a fright there," She said as she shoved a few more items into the large bag, "Yes, I wanted to ensure you know I will be out of the village for a bit."

"Where are you going?" He said, his eyebrows wrinkling in confusion.

"I must journey to Ignis, many of the supplies that Young Midoryia brought me are low and have become essential in maintaining the injuries the warriors sustained from the attack and from training. I must go and get more."

His eyes widened slightly, and he looked at the floor, _'Ignis?'_ He thought.

"W-Wait, you can't go. The village needs you. Also, you would need to forage, and that would be at least a week's journey to account for flight time" His heart pounded in his chest as the thoughts of Izuku swirled around his brain.

"I am sorry sir, these ingredients are essential," A small smile played on her lips as she began closing her bag.

He cleared his throat slightly, "What if I went?"

A broad smile spread across her face that quickly disappeared as she turned to him, the look of fake confusion and realization spread across her face, "Sir, I have trained you well. However many of these ingredients are rare, and you may not know how to spot them."

"But Deku would?" His gaze locked with hers

She looked down slightly, considering, "Well, he was the one that found them originally so I would believe so."

'I could see him.' he thought, attempting to stop the thoughts that rocketed into his brain of what he would do when he saw the young wizard once again.

"Then it's settled. You stay here, give me a list of what you need. I will find Deku and have him find them."

"Yes, and if you would bring him back. Some of the injuries sustained from your training session will require two people for proper treatment to be performed."

His eyes widened slightly, "B-but the elders said-"

"I am the one requesting it, and I will be the one to tell them that I allowed it to occur."

He slowly nodded and turned, "I will get supplies for the journey. Get your list together, and I will be back this afternoon" He ordered as he exited the hut.

Recovery Girl smiled brightly, _'Just as I had hoped.'_ She thought as she grabbed a scroll and ink.

 _Hope everyone enjoyed the update ;) I'm sorry it took so long, I am a bit of the creative aunt around Christmas time and thus couldn't put as much effort towards writing. Let me know what you think!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI: The Storm**

Bakugo and Scatha soared through the air. The morning sun was trailing behind them as they flew the familiar route east towards Ignis. The wind cooled his face as it passed him. He couldn't lie that he wanted to make it to Izuku as quickly as possible.

He growled slightly and laid back against Scatha's thick scales, earning a soft growl from the massive dragon.

' _What am I doing?'_ He thought, _'What will I even say to him when I get there?'_

He closed his eyes slightly and imagined what could happen.

 _He spotted Izuku across the small clearing picking some herbs for his collection. The young wizard did not react at first, but as he stepped closer; Izuku quickly turned around and stood up._

 _"_ _K-Kacchan?! What are you doing here." Izuku would ask, a soft blush dawning his cheeks._

 _"_ _I came here for you, you idiot! Now shut up before I make you" He would say as he pulled Izuku closer. The young wizard's blush would deepen._

 _"_ _W-What?" Izuku would ask, his brows knitting together in that way that was too cute to be legal, an excited glint reflecting in his eyes._

 _"_ _I told you!" He would say before crashing his lips against Izuku's._

Bakugo shot up and ran his hands through his hair, a sharp growl escaping his lips.

 _'_ _If only things would go that damn smoothly!_ ' He leaned forward and watched the smaller villages that surrounded Ignis go by underneath them.

 _'_ _Where will I even find him?'_ He thought before lightly tapping Scatha behind her right horn. She began to descend slowly. They landed right outside the outer border of Ignis.

He pulled his old shirt out of his supplies. Even with all the weeks that had passed, traces of Izuku's scent remained on the shirt. He climbed down and brought the item in front of Scatha's nose.

"You think you can find him, girl?" He asked as she took a deep sniff of the shirt and slowly lifted her head to sniff the air, pointing towards the vast kingdom. He quickly got back on, and she took off. It would at least be a start.

X

Izuku fiddled with the finger of his glove as he walked through the gardens with Shoto. He wasn't sure what to say. He looked around at the plants of the garden and smiled as he rushed over to one of the flower bushes, crouching down next to it. Shoto raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"This flower has been found to cure many ailments," Izuku said.

Shoto smiled, "Yeah, my father had a botanist design these gardens. He's a bit paranoid sometimes."

Izuku chuckled and leaned down to touch one of the pedals of the flower. Shoto's heart warmed slightly at the sight as he walked over and crouched down next to him.

"How long have you been training with All Might?" Shoto asked.

"Quite a while now, when I came here with him I had been training with him for six years," Izuku said, lightly running his thumb over the flower petal.

Shoto's eyebrows raised slightly, "That is quite impressive. I bet you've been all over the kingdom with him."

Izuku's smile widened as he nodded, "Yeah, some days I have no idea where we are going."

"Tell me about some of the places you've been. Besides running errands my father doesn't want to do; I haven't been out of the castle that often" Prince Todoroki slowly stood up, lightly dusting off his pants. Izuku jumped up and gently rubbed his neck.

"I would love to," Izuku said, thinking for a moment before going into a long story of how he and All Might had to fight a Troll to get a plant that aided with a rash one of the men in the village got as they walked along.

"And the worst part of it all is after all that; the rash had cleared up all on its own," Izuku said with a heavy sigh. Shoto let out a tremendous laugh, making Izuku jump slightly. The prince quickly attempted to regain his composure.

"My apologies." He said

"N-no, you have a nice laugh. You should do it more often" Izuku said, his cheeks lightly dusted pink, causing the Shoto's face to go red.

"T-Thank you, w-where else have you been?" Shoto stepped slightly closer to Izuku, their shoulders brushing somewhat for a moment.

Izuku smiled softly before continuing, 'This is nice' He thought.

X

Bakugo let out a large growl in frustration. Izuku's scent was all over this fucking kingdom! They had searched at his school, around All Might's workshop, and throughout the forest.

Scatha had finally found his house, which he searched all around for him but was nowhere to be seen. He finally knocked on the door, to which a small, round, dark-haired woman answered.

"H-Hello, may I help you?" She asked he could tell that this was Izuku's mother, their personalities almost perfect mirrors of one another.

"Is this the residence of Izuku, apprentice of All Might?" He asked, bowing his head slightly in respect.

"I-It is," She said, her hand shaking as she looked over the large man in front of her, "H-however, he is out right now."

"Do you know when he may be back?"

"I-I do not. I-I can take a message for him if you would like," she took a deep breath to calm her nerves

"Please tell him that the Dragon King is looking for him. He will understand." He bowed slightly and turned back towards Scatha, lightly petting her nose. Izuku's mother could feel the sweat collect on her forehead as she looked over the giant red dragon sitting in her front yard.

"O-O-Of course," she shakily bowed back, "H-H-Have a nice day," she slowly closed the door behind her.

'The Dragon King is looking for my son. Izuku what have you gotten yourself into?!' She said as she slid down against the door.

X

Izuku walked around the forest, the afternoon light casting shadows through the trees. He had spent most of the morning at the palace with Shoto.

 _'_ _He's nice,'_ Izuku thought as he placed some small flowers in a jar that could be used to treat nausea, _'But, I can't be with him. Not as I feel right now.'_

He sighed and threw his pack over his shoulder, beginning to head home. A large clearing broke in front of him, and he started hiking across it. Suddenly, a large, black shadow cast overhead. His breath caught in his throat. He bolted to one side of the clearing, hiding behind one of the large trees. He heard a loud thump that shook the earth in the removal and a soft hiss. His hand went to his blade as he swallowed. His heart was pounding in his ears.

 _'A-A demon?'_ He thought. He attempted to step out to escape, but a hand grabbed him and pressed up against the large tree's trunk. He tried to draw his blade, but a hand resting on the hilt blocked it.

"Damn it Deku! Do you know how fucking hard it is to find you?!" A voice yelled, he opened his eyes.

Before he stood the Dragon King, the king's hand held fast to the front of his shirt as the other rested on the hilt of his blade. His breath caught in his throat as he blinked, praying that this wasn't a trick of the light. Bakugo's face changed from a hard glare to a soft scowl, his grip slowly loosening on Izuku's shirt as his hands move to either side of the little wizard's head.

"K-Kacchan," Izuku breathed out, relaxing against the trunk behind him, "W-what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, idiot." He said as he leaned in closer. Izuku's breath quickened. Bakugo's face was only inches away from his own, and he could feel his warm breath on his cheek. His eyes fluttered slightly as his brain scrambled with what to say as he brushed a soft breeze pass through his hair.

"I-I" he whispered, and hand lightly resting against Bakugo's chest before his gaze met Bakugo's.

"Izuku!" A female voice called out. He looked up to see Uraraka flying on her broom, searching left and right as she called out his name.

'She can't find me like this!' He thought and began to panic. He quickly grabbed Bakugo and pulled him into the forest, causing them to roll together down the short incline just within the forest's edge.

Bakugo growled once they came to a halt, getting up on his hands and knees above Izuku.

"What the hell Deku?!" He yelled as Izuku's face went bright red.

"S-Sorry, I saw one of my friends pass over. S-She doesn't know you and I-I didn't want her to find us." Izuku said as he covered his face with his hands.

Bakugo let out another harsh growl before grabbing Izuku's hands and pinning them up above his head. Izuku attempted to pull them free, but Bakugo had the advantage on top. Bakugo leaned down, so his face was inches from the wizard.

"So you would rather her find us like this?" He whispered in a husky growl. Izuku froze, a shiver shooting up his spine.

"H-Hey it wasn't like I planned this!" Izuku yelled, steam coming off his face as he glared at Bakugo. Bakugo let go of his hands and placed them on either side of Izuku's head.

Bakugo's eyes scanned over his face and his clothes, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"What's up with your outfit?" He asked.

Izuku glanced down at his clothing. He had forgotten that he was still wearing the clothes from meeting with the prince.

"P-Prince Todoroki requested my presence at the palace this morning," Izuku said, "It's customary to wear Ignis colors whenever meeting with anyone of the royal family."

Bakugo clicked his tongue and got up, sitting next to Izuku. Izuku slowly sat up, looking over at Bakugo for answers. Bakugo stared off into the forest and shoved the list that Recovery girl had given him in Izuku's direction. Izuku took it and looked it over.

"W-what is this?" Izuku asked. Many of the ingredients on the list were herbs that could be found around Ignis, but why would Bakugo have a list like this?

"You know where to find them, right?" Bakugo would not meet his gaze.

 _'_ _Of course, that damned half-and-half is trying to court him!'_ Bakugo thought.

"Yes, some may be a little difficult, but I am certain we can find them," he said, "D-do you need them?"

"Recovery Girl sent me here to find you to get more herbs for her," Bakugo stood up and held out his hand to help him up.

Izuku took his hand and stood up, "I-I can help with that," he said, and Bakugo nodded and began hiking into the forest. He looked down at the list and sighed softly.

 _'_ _Was a wrong about his intentions again?'_ He thought as he gazed at the blond as he walked into the forest.

"Deku!" Bakugo ordered, and he shook his head of his thoughts and ran ahead of him.

X

They searched all afternoon, finally finding all the requested herbs before heading back to Scatha. The air suddenly cold and clouds had begun to fill the sky.

"A storm is on its way," Bakugo said, giving Scatha a light pet before turning to Izuku, "We need to get going now."

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked down at the ground, "W-we?" He said

"Yes, Recovery Girl requested I bring you back to the village with me."

He sighed, "I-I can't."

Bakugo stepped closer to him, "What?" His voice a harsh growl.

Izuku flinched back slightly, "Kacchan, I have a life here. I have responsibilities, I-I can't be running off all the time."

"My people need you Deku." Bakugo's fist tightens slightly.

 _'_ _And my heart can't take it!'_ Izuku thought and turned away, "I'm sorry Kacchan."

Bakugo let out a loud growl, "Damn it, Deku." He yelled

As Izuku began to walk away, he felt two strong arms wrap around him. He felt his heart stop in his chest. Tears gathered in his eyes.

"L-Let me go Kacchan," he said, his voice shaking as he spoke.

"I need you, Izuku," Bakugo whispered, his grip tightening. Izuku's breath hitched in his throat.

 _'_ _How?!'_ Izuku's mind screamed at him, _'How does he hold this power over me?! He says anything, and I'm putty in his hands. Why?!'_

"Please," Bakugo whispered, placing a light kiss on the back of Izuku's neck, "Please come with me."

Izuku swallowed, shutting his eyes tight, "I-I will." He whispered, trying to prevent the tears from falling.

Bakugo turned him around and lifted him, carrying him over to Scatha and helping him up before settling in front of him. Izuku buried his face in his back, holding him close. Bakugo looked down and lightly placed his hand on Izuku's as he gently tapped Scatha, causing her to rear up and take off.

 _I hope you enjoyed the update! Please let me know what you think._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter IIX: Warmth**

Shoto walked down the hallway of the massive palace. His eyes following the zig-zag pattern of gold and red along the carpet. The light of the fire torches the only thing illuminating the hallway. He looked up slightly to see his sister heading in the opposite direction, dressed in a long flowing blue and white gown: one guard ahead of her and one behind her.

"Hello Shoto, " she said, her eyes closed as she walked.

"Good Evening Fuyumi," He said, his gaze trailing back to the floor.

"How did your date go this morning?" She paused, her guards stopping and standing at attention.

He glared at her slightly, "It wasn't a date."

"Sure it wasn't; you just felt the need to invite a commoner to our home and saunter him through the gardens with a blush on your face. It was obvious you were attempting to court him." She smoothed out one of her sleeves before folding her hands in front of her.

"And if I was?" He raised an eyebrow, "what does it matter?"

"Father won't be pleased. You know he is attempting to find you a bride."

Shoto's fist tightened slightly, "You know I don't care what he wants for me."

"I am aware, but attempt to be more discreet next time." She walked forward, her guards marching down the hall in step with her.

 _'_ _Maybe I want him to see he can't control me.'_ He thought as he began walking down the hallway.

X

The rain came down on them in blankets of water. Bakugo threw his cape over Izuku to attempt to give the wizard some form of shelter, though he the water already soaked through his clothing. Scatha whined as they flew and Bakugo patted her.

"Don't worry; we are almost there?" He said, both to his passenger and his dragon. They arrived at the village a few moments later; the explosion needed to go through the mist doing nothing to aid them invisibility against the rain. Scatha landed as close to Bakugo's hut as possible. Bakugo quickly got off and aided Izuku into his home. Scatha promptly flew off to find her home.

"Strip" Bakugo said as he started a fire and began stripping his clothes, hanging them near the fire.

"W-what?" Izuku said as he shivered.

Bakugo growled softly and walked over to the green-haired wizard. He began unbuttoning his vest, "You will catch your death if you stay in those clothes."

Izuku's face went red, "O-Okay, I can take off my clothes myself," He quickly scrambled to remove his clothing, leaving only his underwear.

"Underwear too, it all needs to dry" Bakugo wrapped a large bearskin blanket around his shoulders as he sat next to the fire. Izuku swallowed slightly as he glanced over the king, realizing he was completely bare beneath the fur. Izuku kept his eyes down as he removed his underwear.

Izuku grabbed a blanket as well and sat next to Bakugo. Bakugo rolled his eyes slightly before pulling Izuku closer into his arms. Izuku's back pressed firmly against Bakugo's chest as his arms wrapped around his waist.

Izuku's face flushed as his eyes widened, "Wh-Wh-What are you doing?"

"Oh come on Deku, This is the first rule of survival. Our body heat will aid one another, and we won't get sick" Bakugo defended, rolling his eyes.

Izuku swallowed as he settled into Bakugo's chest, staring at the flames as he began to feel his body stop shivering. His stomach in knots. His mind replaying the moment in the clearing. The feeling is Bakugo's soft kiss on his neck and his calloused hand resting on his as they took off. His eyes ventured to his lap, half covered by the blanket. Bakugo's hand rested a few inches from his. His breath quickened as he moved his hand closer until the back of his hand rested against Bakugo's calloused palm. He waited, expecting the king to pull away; however, his heart jumped when he felt Bakugo intertwined his fingers between his own.

They sat in silence, each unsure of what to do next. Bakugo spoke up.

"So, did half-and-half summon you to talk about me?" He asked, his gaze fixed on the fire.

"A-At first, but then he wanted to hear about my journeys with All Might," Izuku said, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Bakugo shifted slightly and rolled his shoulders, "Did you accept his courtship?"

A shiver shot up Izuku's spine as he sat forward, 'C-Courtship?!' He thought, "H-He wasn't trying-" his eyes shot back and forth as he analyzed the morning, considering through each word said.

Bakugo let out a harsh laugh, "I know you are not that dumb Deku."

Izuku took a deep breath and leaned back, "H-He didn't say anything about a courtship."

Bakugo raised his eyebrows, "Would you have accepted if he had?"

"No," He responded quicker than he meant to, his eyes falling back on their hands, "I-I mean, h-he's not my type."

"Oh? And what is your type?" Bakugo did everything in his power not to smirk.

Izuku swallowed, feeling the heat radiate off his cheeks, "Strong, honorable," He ran his hand through his hair, "A little unhinged, not the proper nobility type."

Bakugo could feel his face heating up, which he attempted to blame on the fact that they were sitting so close to the fire.

"Why?" Izuku said after a few moments, his eyes attempting to look up at Bakugo once more.

"Just curious," Bakugo mumbled.

Izuku's heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. His brain was running in circles trying to figure out what was going on. He couldn't be misreading all of this. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as he turned in Bakugo's arms, climbing up in his lap. Bakugo pulled him closer, his hands ghosting up Izuku's ribs as they circled to his back.

He slowly opened his eyes, green meeting amber. The light of the flames dancing on their skin as their chests lightly touched. He swallowed slightly.

"What do you want, Izuku?" Bakugo breathed out, his warm breath dancing across Izuku's cheek. His eyes were darting to Izuku's lips as Izuku's arms settled around his neck, his hands tangling in the king's hair.

Izuku searched his eyes for the meaning behind those words. His stomach doing summersaults as his confidence began to wane slightly.

"You," he whispered, barely loud enough for Bakugo to hear.

Bakugo readjusted him slightly in his lap as he leaned closer, his lips nearly touching Izuku's, "What would you like from me?" His voice a rough whisper causing visible shivers to shoot down Izuku's spine.

Izuku's eyes wandered to the doorway. The storm was raging on, the water pattering on the roof as thunder rang in the distance.

"No one with half a brain would go out in that storm," Bakugo whispered as Izuku's eyes met his once more.

"I-I," He whispered as his hand slid to Bakugo's cheek, his thumb tracing the king's lower lip, "I want you to do whatever you wish with me."

Bakugo couldn't take it a moment longer. He crashed his lips onto Izuku's, a soft moan erupting from the green-haired wizard as he eagerly ate up the kiss. His whole body on fire and his mind are hazy. The kiss was rough, uncoordinated with their noses pressing into one another, but neither cared.

Bakugo lifted him and laid him down on the floor beneath him, his hands running along Izuku's sides. His hand is reaching up and pulling Izuku's hair as he left a trail of purple spots down the wizard's neck and to his chest.

"K-Kacchan, please," Izuku moaned, raking his nails down the king's back. Even for just starting, he was already far gone. Bakugo's touches were like fire against his skin, burning up every nerve ending he possessed

"You can't get enough of me, can you Izuku?" Bakugo whispered as he reclaimed Izuku's lips and pulled his hips closer to his own, "I'll show you who you belong to tonight,"

Pants and moans filled the air surrounding them as sweat formed across their skin. Their rhythm was rough and clumsy as they explored one another and reacted to the other's touch. The rain poured on, masking their exploration from the outside world.

X

Izuku awoke the next morning to the bright sun as it shone through the windows. For a moment, he didn't realize where he was. He thought he was in his room, and that last night had been another dream to plague his mind. He slowly sat up, his back sore from sleeping on the floor. He groaned slightly and blinked as he looked around. He was in Bakugo's hut, and the king in question was over by the fire making breakfast.

'So it was real' He thought, rolling his shoulders and hearing them pop as his cheeks warmed.

Bakugo set down the spoon and grabbed a cup of water.

"Good morning," He said and handed Izuku the cup as he sat down next to him, "Figured you would need this. Your voice must be tired after last night." A soft smirk pulling at the edges of his lips

Izuku didn't meet his gaze, his cheeks feeling like they were on fire. He took the cup and took a sip. The cold liquid soothed his dry throat.

"Thank you," Izuku said, looking down at the cup.

The silence settled over them like fog, making it difficult to breathe. Izuku looked over at the king, studying his expression. Bakugo's face was relaxed, calmer than he had ever seen it and his eyes were tracing the floorboards.

Izuku took another sip before opening his mouth to speak, but Bakugo beat him to it.

"Would you like to keep doing that?" He asked, gaze fixed on the floor.

Izuku straightened up, "R-right now?" He asked, he had just woken up and didn't know if he had the energy for something like that.

Bakugo growled and rolled his eyes, "Not right now you idiot! I mean in general," he looked over to Izuku.

"Yes," Izuku said, his finger running along the side of the cup, "If you would like to."

"I would," Bakugo stood up and began stirring their breakfast, "Then that is what we will do."

Izuku thought for a moment about the arrangement, "D-does that mean we are together? A-a courtship I mean?"

Bakugo paused stirring for a moment, "If that is what you would like, then that is what we are." He went back to mixing.

Izuku's heart quickened as he felt a broad smile pulling at his lips. He prayed this wasn't a dream.

Bakugo grabbed their bowls and motioned for him to meet him by the table. He wrapped the blanket around himself and followed. Bakugo set down his dish on the table and held out the other bowl for Izuku.

As Izuku reached for it, it was pulled slightly out of his reach. He stepped closer, and the bowl was brought somewhat above his hand. With each movement, he moved closer to Bakugo, until the food resided above Bakugo's head with Izuku's hand stretched below it.

"Something wrong, De-ku?" Bakugo asked a cocky smirk spread across his face.

Izuku glared at him playfully, 'So that's the game he's playing?' He thought and stepped closer to Bakugo. His hand gliding up the king's ribs and rested against the side of his neck, his mouth leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses on the other side.

Bakugo let out a soft groan as his eyes rolled back. He slowly set Izuku's bowl down and grabbed the wizard by the back of the hair, connecting their lips. Breakfast could wait.

X

Two men sat in a shadowy room. The larger man is sitting on a wooden thrown tapping his chin, his face concealed by a vast veil. In front of him, a mirror reflected the young Prince Todoroki talking with Izuku.

"And you are certain that the wizard has a connection with the Dragon King?" The larger man asked, his deep voice breaking the silence of the room.

"Yes, I heard them speak about it momentarily," The smaller man said. He was tall and slender with large scars throughout his skin; metal connected the scarred skin to the unscarred skin.

"This information is beneficial to me Dabi, though I have to ask; why would you want to go after your baby brother?"

"He is the product of my father's greed, a child manufactured to be everything I wasn't."

The larger man let out a hearty and unsettling laugh, "Then we should have to pay him a visit, shall we?"

 ** _Let me know what you think :)_**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII: Two Faces

 _Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Wanted to warn you I change up Toga's power a little here. Also in a future chapter I kill off one of the elders, but I would like to know who you all would like to see die, let me know. Please enjoy :)_

All Might approached the door of the small house, his face concealed by a large, black cloak. He slowly knocked on the door. Izuku's mother opened the door, holding a small lamp.

"A-All Might," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I apologize for my appearance. I thought you were Izuku."

"Is he not home?" All Might asked, pulling back his hood.

"N-No, he didn't come home last night."

All Might look around, his eyes settling on the forest behind the house, "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"

Her eyes widened slightly, "I-Is something wrong?"

"Something doesn't feel right, and I know he would prefer you to be safe."

She nodded, "Let me grab a few things."

He nodded and stood to watch at the door, revealing a large staff from under his cloak. A shadowy figure disappeared deep into the forest.

X

Shigaraki itched at his neck obsessively, his jagged nails digging into the skin and causing small rivers of blood to run down.

"Shigaraki, calm down," The large man in the black veil demanded, his fist coming down on the arm of the large wooden throne in which he sat.

"B-but master!" Shigaraki yelled, his voice shrill, "Why would you send those two for such an important mission?! How do you know we can trust them?!"

The larger man chuckled softly, "They were the best equip for the job."

"How?!" Shigaraki's eyes widened as he fell to his knees, the air around him pressing down on him.

"Enough!" The larger man roared as he stood, "If you calm down I will tell you."

Shigaraki skittered back to where his back was against the door, "Y-yes master."

The larger man sat down again and rested his head on his left hand, "The girl is trained in magic that allows her to take the face of any person she sees, and she can also disguise one other person. If things go according to plan, then our enemies will take care of themselves."

A single glittering eye has shown through the veil on the man's face. It looked towards the door as a man with a black and white mask over his face entered.

"What is it," the larger man ordered.

"Master, well you see-" the man began to say in a high pitched voice, "we could not find the wizard you requested us to find." A deeper voice continued from the man.

"And why not?" He demanded, clenching his fist.

"W-Well, he isn't in Ignis," The higher pitched voice said

"We searched throughout the entire kingdom." The deeper voice stated.

The larger man relaxed and lightly tapped on his chin, "Well, this is certainly going to make things interesting."

X

Shoto awoke to a sudden knock at his balcony door. He looked out to see a shadowy figure standing outside the door. Initially, he thought it was his brother, Natsuo playing a trick on him. He rolled his eyes and got out of bed, crossing the large room and opening the door. Izuku quickly ran into his arms.

"M-Midoriya? What are you doing here?" He asked, wrapping his arms around the small wizard as his cheeks heated up.

"S-Shoto, p-please you have to help me! H-He's coming for me!" Izuku sobbed. His tight gripped tighter around the small wizard.

"Who? Who is coming?" He looked up to see the Dragon King standing in the doorway of the balcony, sparks flying on his hand.

"Let go of him; he belongs to me," Bakugo growled, stepping forward.

"P-Please Shoto, he wishes to hurt me!" Izuku sobbed.

Shoto quickly pulled Izuku behind him, his eyes darting to his sword near his bed. Bakugo saw his gaze shift and shot forward, landing a massive blast directly on the prince's chest. Shoto was shot back, his back colliding with the bedpost, a sizeable red burn marking his chest.

"SHOTO!" Izuku called as he struggled against the Dragon King's grip. Shoto shot out a blast of flames from his left hand, scorching Bakugo's cheek. Bakugo turned and growled at him as he dragged Izuku out to the balcony and hoisted him to his shoulder before jumping off.

"Let go of him!" Shoto yelled and shot out to the edge of the balcony. In the night he could see nothing but darkness and forest. A dragon's roar sounded far in the distance.

"Shit," Shoto cursed and ran back into the room, yanking the large wooden doors open, "Guards, find Ida and alert the royal guard that I need to see them! Immediately!"

The guards bowed, "Yes sir," they said in unison and ran off.

 _'_ _You will pay for this, Katsuki!'_ He thought as he grit his teeth.

X

Izuku stood by the kitchen counter organizing his bag. He had sent a message back to Ignis that morning letting his mother, and All Might know where he was and that he was safe. Bakugo had insisted he change back into his old clothes, as he couldn't stand seeing him in the colors of Ignis.

Bakugo walked up behind him, his arms snaking around his waist as he placed light kisses on Izuku's shoulder and neck. Izuku giggled softly.

"Are you going to work with Recovery Girl today?" Bakugo asked, burying his nose in Izuku's messy green locks.

"Yes, she has some patients she needs an extra pair of hands. She requested me to come right away." Izuku said a bright smile spread across his face as he settled against Bakugo's chest.  
Bakugo turned Izuku and lifted him onto the counter, "Well, she is going to have to wait until I am through with you."

Izuku giggled, his hands lightly caressing Bakugo's cheeks as his hands tangled into his hair, "You are always so needy in the morning."  
"I am the King, and I will not be denied." A large cocky grin spread across Bakugo's face as he rested his hands on either side of Izuku's hips, "And I always make sure you love every second of it."

"Very true, Kac-chan" Bakugo let out a soft laugh before capturing his lips in a kiss. The kiss was soft, enveloping each other's mouths as they settled into the realization that life would be perfect if things could stay just like this.

Kirishima pulled back the deerskin flap, causing them both to look towards the door, "I apologize for interrupting, however; Bakugo you have to come right away!"

"What is it?" Bakugo asked, walking towards the door as Izuku slowly got down from the counter.

"Prince Todoroki is at the border. He requests an audience with you right away. He has the entire Royal Guard with him and says if you don't come at once he will begin attacking the mountain."

"Has he gone mad?!"

"He said that you stole from the kingdom of Ignis."

"Damn Icy Hot!" Bakugo growled, his fist tightening. Izuku reached out and gripped his arm.

"Kacchan, wait!" Izuku said, pulling him back slightly.

"What?!" Bakugo growled, turning and looking at him.

"Why would he think you stole something? Doesn't this seem like there has had to be more to the story here?" Izuku's gaze met his own, "We shouldn't rush into this throwing punches."

Bakugo growled as he looked away, "I know that, but I hate feeling like I am being used."

Izuku nodded, "I'll come with you, maybe I can help sort this out in some way."

Bakugo nodded and looked towards Kirishima, "Tell Recovery Girl he's with me."

Kirishima nodded and took off towards Recovery Girl's hut. Bakugo grabbed Izuku's hand and led him to Scatha, pulling Izuku up and taking off.

X

Scatha landed with a giant thud in front of Prince Todoroki and his men, who quickly dismounted from his horse, the knights behind him poised to attack. Bakugo quickly dismounted from Scatha, her lips rolling back to a growl as she spotted the knights.

"Finally you show your face you coward, and you felt the need to bring your spoils with you." The prince yelled, a sword of ice forming from his right hand.

"What the hell are you even talking about half-and-half?! Call your men off!" Bakugo yelled, sparks flying from his hand. Izuku raced to get off the dragon and get in between the two of them.

"I will only say this once, let Midoriya go, and we will leave. If you refuse, we will have no choice but to attack." The prince said, his eyes locked with Bakugo's, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword tighter.

"Let him go? What the hell are you talking about, he came here willingly." Bakugo glared as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Is crying and screaming for help what you consider willingly?!" The prince took a step back, poised to fight as Bakugo brought his sparking hand back.

"Stop!" Izuku yelled as he got in between them, pushing them away from one another, "Please, let's discuss this without violence."

Prince Todoroki stepped back, the grip on his sword relaxing slightly. Bakugo relaxed and stood up straighter, his fists clenched tight.

"Do not worry Midoriya; I am here to take you away from this maniac." Prince Todoroki said, not letting his eyes leave Bakugo's.

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed as his gaze connected with the prince's, "T-take me away? S-Shoto I came here of my own accord." He said

The prince looked down at him, his eyebrows raising in concern and shock, "What spell has he got on you? He attacked me and kidnapped you from my palace last night."

"What sort of fantasies are you having?" Bakugo growled, "He's been here with me for two days."

"I saw it with my own eyes, you sick coward!" Prince Todoroki eyes locked with Bakugo's once more.

Izuku turned towards the prince, "He's telling the truth Shoto. The wise woman of the village requested my return two days ago. Katsuki came and collected me, but I chose to come here, he in no way forced me."

The prince's gaze shifted between Izuku and Bakugo, his gaze turning from anger to confusion, the scar that would have been left from his attack the previous night was nowhere to be seen on Bakugo's face, "Midoryia, I am inclined to trust you much more than him, but how would you explain what I saw?"

Izuku's eyes met Bakugo's before he turned back to the prince, "A couple of months ago, this village was attacked by demons. I was recruited to aid with the damage under All Might's direction." He fiddled slightly with his fingers, considering his words carefully, "They were being controlled by wizards wielding dark magic. I do not know what their goal may be, but if they were attempting to destroy relations between Ignis and the Dragon Kingdom; staging something like this may be the perfect opportunity."

Prince Todoroki relaxed, though he held his sword close. He waved his hand, and the knights rested their positions.

"So they could be attempting to use Ignis as a pawn?" The prince spoke after a few moments, "But what could they be after?"

Izuku shrugged, "Power over the kingdoms would be my best guess."

Prince Todoroki sighed, the sword of ice denigrating in his hand, "I must alert my father to this development."

"Yeah, just what we need another warlock in the mix." Bakugo' eyes rolled as he crossed his arms, earning a glare from Izuku.

Prince Todoroki glared at him as well, "I will alert him to the events last night and see if he has any old enemies that could be doing this, nothing more. I know my father can be unreasonable when it comes to the Dragon Kingdom, but we do not know what we are facing."

Bakugo held his glare but nodded. He would not admit that the prince was right, but would not fight the idea of working together for now.

Izuku stepped closer to the prince, "Once I am back in Ignis, let me know what you find. I will also speak with All Might to see if he knows anything."

The prince nodded and pulled Izuku into a hug, "Please be careful, I do not trust King Katsuki, and I do not want to see you hurt." The prince's whisper caressed his ear

A soft smile formed across Izuku's face, "You do not know him as I do." He stepped back towards Bakugo. Bakugo wrapped an arm around his shoulders and his waist and pulled him against his chest as Prince Todoroki mounted his horse.

"Mount your horses' men! We are taking our leave now." He called to the knights. They put away their weapons and mounted their horses. He took one last look at Izuku and Bakugo, noticing the closeness of their position. Bakugo leaned down and lightly kissed Izuku's cheek before turning his glare back to the prince, mouthing the word "Mine."

The prince's icy glare shot back at him, _'We will see.'_ He thought before riding off. His men close behind.

Once they could no longer hear the stampede of the horses' hooves, Izuku leaned against Bakugo, gazing up at the king's face.

"You're jealous." He said, a smile pulling at his lips.

Bakugo let out a harsh laugh, "Jealous? Why would I be jealous of that idiot?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow, resting his hand on Bakugo's as he felt the King's grip tighten on him.

Bakugo looked away, "I do not like how he looks at you like you are going to snap back into reality and run into his arms and go frolic with him in a meadow."

Izuku giggled softly, slowly turning in his arms, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his head to face him, "Well, I-I prefer this reality. So if you do have a spell on me, you can lift it."

A cocky grin spread across Bakugo's face, "Like I would need a spell to capture your heart," He brushed Izuku's bangs from his face, "Though you must be quite powerful to have completed the feat of capturing mine."

Izuku blushed, looking down. Bakugo lifted his chin, placing a soft kiss on his lips before locking eyes with him, "Though I may know what the demons are after."

X

They climbed through the dense forest of the mountain, the sun slowly sinking in the sky. Bakugo held up a flaming torch, providing light to the darkened forest. Izuku squinted as he climbed, Bakugo climbing ahead of him.

"Mind telling me where we are going?" Izuku said, nearly tripping over a root.

Bakugo remained silent, looking up into the trees and placing his hand on the bark and taking a sharp left. Izuku raced forward and grasped the tree for support as he caught his breath.

"Kacchan, wait!" He rushed forward and bumped into Bakugo's back

"We're here."

Izuku looked up to see a large cave, long vines hanging down in front of the mouth. The cave was so thick that the inside was pitch black. Izuku looked over at Bakugo.

"What is in there?" He asked

"Follow me and see," Bakugo said, taking his hand and leading him deep into the cave. The torch was only providing light a few feet in front of them. As they walked on, Izuku began to notice a slight twinkle on the walls surrounding them, almost like reflecting glass.

"This should be far enough," Bakugo said, before plunging the torch in a puddle of water at their feet.

A slight squeak escaped Izuku's lips as the world around him turned dark. He leaned against Bakugo, whose arm wrapped around his shoulders. As his eyes adjusted, color began to grow along the walls. Purples, blues, and white glittered around. The bright night sky contained in the walls reflecting in the large crystals around them. Izuku took a moment to catch his breath.

"W-What is this place?" He asked the colors seemed to pulse around him like the cave was alive.

"My people call it the Draco Corde, or Dragon Heart," Bakugo said, walking over to a large rock near the wall and leaning against it, "The crystals it produces are called the dragon's blood. My people believe that these crystals connect us to all the energy of nature and maintain balance. Through that connection, we can form bonds with our dragons," He looked up, his eyes gliding along the crystals of the ceiling, "Every king of my tribe consumes a serum made from one of these crystals, thus giving us our magical abilities. When you drink the serum, your body either accepts the power, or you die."

Izuku visibly flinched at the idea, and Bakugo continued, "The tattoos that I have are a direct result from the serum. They are ruins burned into my skin as my body accepted the power. I was the youngest King to drink the serum, and the elders didn't fully believe I would survive."

Izuku looked over at Bakugo, seeing the pain cross his face before it morphed back into a mask of irritation. He could only imagine how painful of a process that must have been.

"Have you heard the story of the two brothers?" Bakugo's gaze met his, attempting to change the subject.

Izuku nodded, "The two brothers both inherited powerful magic. One began to practice dark magic, and the other overwhelmed him, before manufacturing a spell to pass on magical abilities."

Bakugo sighed, "So you've only heard half the story?"

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "W-What?"

"The story I know is a little different," Bakugo looked down, lightly kicking at the dirt at his feet, "Long ago, a couple of a powerful wizard and witch gave birth to two sons. The older brother began to develop strong magical powers, however; the younger brother came of age without showing signs of having magical abilities. Though, his brother found a way a way to give him part of his magic. Soon, the younger son learned to control his magic. He was able to become an apprentice to a powerful wizard. He traveled everywhere, and his parents were very proud of their 'late bloomer.' The older brother grew jealous and hateful, threatening to take back his power, but the younger brother had made it his own, thus proving it impossible. In his rage, the older brother sought out dark magic to kill his younger brother and take back what he believed to be his."

Bakugo shifted slightly on the rock, eyes meeting Izuku's, "What the older brother didn't know was that on one of his journeys with his master, he met the Dragon King. They became close comrades; some even speculate that they were lovers. When the older brother attempted to kill him, the Dragon King came to his aid and with their combined powers, were able to seal his magical abilities forever." Bakugo looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets, "The story ends with a warning. That the older brother may one day seek to return, his only chance of breaking the seal is to kill the Dragon King and consume the dragon's blood. However, if love remains true and unbreakable; then his defeat will be accomplished."

Izuku looked down at this scarred hand, trying to understand all that he was being told. Their lives were intertwined far more profound than he could have ever imagined, "S-So, w-when the assassins killed your father-" Izuku began

"My tribe thought it might be the older brother attempting to return by working with Ignis. That is why the elders ensure I was given the serum before I came of age."

"H-How old were you?"

"Ten."

Izuku crossed the cave and stood in front of him, Bakugo could no longer meet his eyes, desperately trying to maintain an air of annoyance at the whole ordeal.

"W-what is like? When you drank the serum?" Izuku asked, holding his hand out. Bakugo looked at his side and slowly took it on his own.

"My body felt like it was being burned from the inside out. I couldn't move for four days. On the third day, I was waiting for my body to disintegrate into ash. I couldn't imagine life without pain. It hurt to breathe, to even exist," Bakugo pulled Izuku into his arms, resting his arms around Izuku's waist. Izuku's arms snaked around Bakugo's neck, lightly massaging his scalp, "but after the fourth day, the pain was gone; the markings the only proof that those four days had happened. I learned later that the elders were preparing for my death; ensuring the proper rituals were in place. When I walked out of Recovery Girl's hut after that fourth day, they looked at me like I was a ghost."

Izuku laughed softly, a small smile playing on his lips, "You showed them," his smile quickly faded, "I-I just wonder why All Might never told me about all of this."

Bakugo lightly pressed his forehead to Izuku's, "When All Might came and helped us, my parents wanted to seal us away from the rest of the world. Their goal was to ensure the story never came true."

Izuku lightly caressed his cheek, "S-so if you hadn't been attacked, we would be nothing more than distant memories."

Bakugo nodded, his eyes falling on Izuku's lips. Izuku swallowed, his eyes darting back and forth between Bakugo's face and the crystal behind him. His heart ached at the thought. It had only been two months since he had found Bakugo again, his long lost childhood friend, and now, lover. Ever since then, his world had been turned upside down. The night that they arrived at the village in the rain, he had given Bakugo everything. His body, his mind, his soul. He could no longer imagine a life without the man in his arms. He hated that part of him was happy for the attack.

A soft kiss on his lips pulled him from his thoughts, "I am sorry if I overwhelmed you," Bakugo whispered, softly wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

He thought for a moment, realizing his hands were shaking. He had not registered that he had begun crying. His gaze met Bakugo's.

"I-It's just a lot to take in, I guess," he said, trying to pull back. Bakugo held him close, soft kisses placed on his cheeks and neck.

"It's alright," Bakugo whispered, "We should head back."

Izuku nodded. Their lips connecting once more before Bakugo pulled back, slowly leading Izuku out of the cave.

 _Let me know what you think :)_


End file.
